Brussels, 18 May - The government of Sweden has today pledged its support for a new UNCTAD programme to assist least developed countries (LDCs) in building national capacities to develop good governance in investment promotion and facilitation. The programme will focus on a selected number of LDCs committed to a client-oriented and transparent administrative system that will encourage foreign direct investment (FDI).The announcement comes during the Third UN Conference on the LDCs, which opened here on 14 May to combat economic isolation and poverty in the world’s 49 poorest countries.
The programme will include country reports on improved efficiency and transparency in investment-related administrative procedures, training in effective investment promotion, and courses on ethical standards in the public sector. It will also help LDCs to establish local training capacities in these areas. Immediate target groups are investment promotion officers, officials from ministries and agencies that deal with investment registration and permits, custom officials and staff of export processing zones.
As part of the programme, an international conference is planned on good governance in investment promotion and facilitation in which experiences from the programme and best practices will be presented to a wide audience of developed and developing countries’ representatives.
The programme represents a logical follow-up on past and ongoing technical assistance activities by UNCTAD to promote efficiency and transparency in regulatory investment regimes and to improve the effectiveness and competitiveness of FDI promotion services in developing countries.
As part of the programme, UNCTAD will seek close cooperation with other international organizations conducting research and programmes in this field, such as the World Bank. The programme will also seek to cooperate with organizations representing agencies and institutions that could benefit from it, such as the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA).
