26 - 30 January 2004

Geneva

Under policy issues related to investment and development, the Commission will consider the reports of the two expert meetings on FDI. It will also consider the new trade and investment opportunities created in the area of services and, in particular, the potential scope for the relocation of export-oriented services and the role of host and home country policies in maximizing the resulting benefits.

Under international arrangements, the Commission will review recent trends in international investment agreements (IIAs), especially at the bilateral and regional levels. A panel discussion on regional economic integration organizations and the development dimension should shed light on the current state of play in different regional settings and outline significant features and lessons.

Under investment policy reviews, the Commission will consider the results of the IPR for Algeria (which is the first IPR undertaken in French). As in previous sessions, the secretariat will present the follow-up activities relating to the first round of reviews and an oral report on the follow-up to the recommendations of previous policy reviews.

The Commission will also attend a joint session with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), which is holding its Executive Meeting in parallel with the Commission (28-29 January). The meeting targets executives and heads of Investment Promotion Agencies. A joint UNCTAD/WAIPA high-level session is being organized on "Strengthening the Role of IPAs in Policy Advocacy". Other topics include "Latest TNCs Investment Decisions in ICT" and "Best Practices in FDI Target Setting and Performance Evaluation". The programme of the WAIPA executive meeting includes a one-day session on strategic issues in investment promotion and IPA management, interactive workshops on the main themes, and several training workshops.

CUTS/UNCTAD Civil Society event
On Friday, 30 January, the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) of India and the UNCTAD secretariat will hold an international seminar on "FDI Policies and Regulation: How to Foster Economic Development". Drawing on the findings of the joint CUTS/UNCTAD project on "Investment for Development", this seminar will review issues related to FDI and economic development, FDI in LDCs and in large emerging economies, and the state of play at the international level.