BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a58ff9dd3a5a DTSTART:20220228T093000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20220228T114500Z LOCATION:Online\, SUMMARY:Webinar on international investment agreements (IIAs) and public he alth CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:The ongoing pandemic has created enormous challenges for nation al health systems and policies. It has tested the resilience of global val ue chains for medical goods\, revealed the weaknesses and fragility of man y national health systems\, and highlighted the urgent need to invest more in health. At the international level\, IIAs can help by promoting\, faci litating and protecting investment in health\, but they may also come into play in relation to policy responses taken by governments to address the economic impact of the pandemic. Some of these policy measures could poten tially create friction with IIA obligations and could result in investment disputes. This highlights the need to safeguard sufficient regulatory spa ce in IIAs to protect public health and to minimize the risk of ISDS proce edings.\n\nTo ensure better synergies between IIAs and public health polic ies\, future agreements could include provisions that proactively encourag e and facilitate health-related FDI\, while maintaining or strengthening e xisting safeguards that protect the host States’ right to regulate to pu rsue public health objectives. This webinar\, co-organized by UNCTAD and D -8 Organization for Economic Cooperation\, will discuss the state of play of IIAs and public health and will point towards ways forward in reforming IIAs to better respond to the challenges facing States in implementing th eir public health policies.\n\nProvisional Programme\n\nWelcoming remarks (15 minutes)\n\n\nIsiaki Imam\, Secretary General of the Developing 8 Orga nization for Economic Cooperation (D-8)\nJoerg Weber\, Head\, Investment P olicies Branch\, UNCTAD\n\n\nSession 1: International investment agreement s and public health: key issues and recommendations (1 hour)\n\n\nHamed El -Kady\, Coordinator\, International Investment Agreements Section\, UNCTAD \, ‘IIA reform in D8 countries and public health’\nRasha Hamdy\, Direc tor of Economy and External Relations\, D-8\, ‘Public Health as a challe nge for Investment policy in D-8 countries’\nDafina Atanasova\, Lecturer \, Geneva Center for International Dispute Settlement\, ‘IIAs\, TRIPs an d COVID-19: key issues for developing countries’\nJosef Ostřanský\, Co nsultant\, International Investment Agreements Section\, Division on Inves tment and Enterprise\, UNCTAD\, ‘Investor-State disputes and public heal th: an overview’\n\n\nSession 2: Roundtable discussion and sharing of ex perience among D-8 Government representatives (30 minutes)\n\nClosing rema rks\n<\;p>\;The ongoing pandemic has created enormous challenges for n ational health systems and policies. It has tested the resilience of globa l value chains for medical goods\, revealed the weaknesses and fragility o f many national health systems\, and highlighted the urgent need to invest more in health. At the international level\, IIAs can help by promoting\, facilitating and protecting investment in health\, but they may also come into play in relation to policy responses taken by governments to address the economic impact of the pandemic. Some of these policy measures could potentially create friction with IIA obligations and could result in inves tment disputes. This highlights the need to safeguard sufficient regulator y space in IIAs to protect public health and to minimize the risk of ISDS proceedings.<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;To ensure better synergies between IIAs and public health policies\, future agreements could include provisio ns that proactively encourage and facilitate health-related FDI\, while ma intaining or strengthening existing safeguards that protect the host State s’ right to regulate to pursue public health objectives. This webinar\, co-organized by UNCTAD and D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation\, wil l discuss the state of play of IIAs and public health and will point towar ds ways forward in reforming IIAs to better respond to the challenges faci ng States in implementing their public health policies.<\;/p>\;\n\n< \;p>\;<\;strong>\;Provisional Programme<\;/strong>\;<\;/p>\; \n\n<\;p>\;Welcoming remarks (15 minutes)<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;ul>\;\ n<\;li>\;Isiaki Imam\, Secretary General of the Developing 8 Organizat ion for Economic Cooperation (D-8)<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;Joerg Weber\, Head\, Investment Policies Branch\, UNCTAD<\;/li>\;\n<\;/ul>\;\n\ n<\;p>\;Session 1: International investment agreements and public heal th: key issues and recommendations (1 hour)<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;ul>\;\n& lt\;li>\;Hamed El-Kady\, Coordinator\, International Investment Agreemen ts Section\, UNCTAD\, ‘IIA reform in D8 countries and public health’&l t\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;Rasha Hamdy\, Director of Economy and External Re lations\, D-8\, ‘Public Health as a challenge for Investment policy in D -8 countries’<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;Dafina Atanasova\, Lecturer\, Ge neva Center for International Dispute Settlement\, ‘IIAs\, TRIPs and COV ID-19: key issues for developing countries’<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;Jo sef Ostřanský\, Consultant\, International Investment Agreements Section \, Division on Investment and Enterprise\, UNCTAD\, ‘Investor-State disp utes and public health: an overview’<\;/li>\;\n<\;/ul>\;\n\n<\ ;p>\;Session 2: Roundtable discussion and sharing of experience among D- 8 Government representatives (30 minutes)<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;Closin g remarks<\;/p>\;\n\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/ meeting/webinar-international-investment-agreements-iias-and-public-health DTSTAMP:20260716T155821Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR