INF/IFD/ W/46 
16 December  2022 
(22-9376) Page: 1/3 
 Original: English  
 
 
WTO STRUCTURED DISCUSSIONS ON INVESTMENT  FACILITATION FOR DEVELOPMENT  
STATEMENT BY THE CO -COORDINATORS  
The following statement , dated 16 December  2022, has been prepared by the co-Coordinators of 
the WTO Structured Discussions on their own responsibility , and does not purport to represent the 
views  of individual WTO Members participating in these negotiations . 
 
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1  STOCKTAKING  OF THE PERIOD JANUARY –DECEMBER 2022  AND OUTCOME  
1. In light of participant s' aspiration to finalize the text negotiations by the end of 2022 , as well as  
their objective to achieve a meaningful and quality Agreement  that will make an actual difference 
in facilitating foreign direct investment, participants have engaged in the negoti ations with a 
sense of purpose and willingness to compromise in order to advance on remaining issues.  
2. Participants have worked hard both in and  in-between meetings  to achieve such  progress . They 
have demonstrat ed flexibility including by withdrawing  text proposals or by submitting  revised , 
further  streamlined proposals , which have paved the way for finding landing zones  on a range 
of key issues . In particular, substantial progress has been made on the provision s on MFN,  scope 
and definitio ns, "home state measures ", "supplier development programmes ", and "responsible 
business conduct ".  
3. Reflecting the substantial progress achieved , the latest negotiating text ( the "Draft IFD 
Agreement ") contained in WTO document INF/IFD/RD/ 124, was  circulated to all Members  on 
16 December 2022 . It consolidate s the successive updates made to the "Easter Text " since the 
first version was circulated to all WTO Members on 12 April 2021.1 We consider the text 
negotiation s as substantially advanced , in line with  the December 2021 Joint Statement , which 
aimed  at the conclusion of the text negotiations by the end of this year . This "Draft IFD 
Agreement ", which  is the result of the collective efforts of participants  and follows the principle  
that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed ", constitutes a major  milestone towards 
concluding a WTO Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development . 
4. The "Draft IFD Agreement " includes "convergence " text for seven Sections of the future 
Agreement : Section  I on "Scope and general principles "; Section  II on "Transparency of 
investment measures "; Section III on 'Streamlining and speeding up administrative procedures'; 
Section IV on "Focal points, domestic regulatory coherence and cross -border cooperation "; 
Section V on "Special and differential treatment  for Developing and Least -Developed Members "; 
Section VI on "Sustainable investment "; and Section VII on "Institutional arrangements and f inal 
provisions ".  
5. This text is the result of discussions held b y more than 110 WTO Members since the negotiations 
were formally launched in September 2020.  It builds on around 60 text proposals submitted by 
participating Members, out of which 43 are from developing and LDC Members , as well as text 
contributions from open -ended Discussion Groups . Following the guidance of the three Joint 
Statements  on Investment F acilitation for Development ,2 the "Draft IFD Agreement " exclude s 
market access, investment protection, and Investor -State Dispute Settlement . It also contains 
 
1 Document INF/IFD/RD/74/Rev.9, dated 18 November 2022.  
2 First Joint Ministerial Statement , December 2017; second Joint Ministerial Statement , November 2019; 
and third Joint Stateme nt, December 2021.  INF/IFD/W/ 46 
 
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  a multi -pronged "firewall provision " to insulate the future Agreement from Members' existing 
and future international investment agreements . The text also builds on existing WTO 
agreements.  
6. Participants are of the view that the outcomes already achieved will contribute to creat ing a 
more transparent, efficient, and predictable environment  for facilitating investments, which will 
anchor  and complement similar efforts at the domestic, bilateral and regional levels. They also 
view the text as it stands now as an important step towards establishing WTO rules on 
investment facilitation in order to help Members attract, retain,  and expand foreign direct 
investment flows to achieve sustainable development.  
7. Participants  plan to  use the "Draft IFD Agreement " as basis for  the next stage of the  negotiations 
towards concluding an Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development  to facilitate 
outreach efforts, especially to wards  developing and least -developed Members.  
8. Transparency in the negotiations has been ensured by inviting all WTO Member s to the plenary 
meeting s and ensuring timely access to participants' text proposals .3 Reports of the discussions 
have been  circulated by the co -Coordinators under their responsibility after their consultations 
in different configurations.4 Furthermore, the co -Coordinators have regularly informed the entire 
WTO Membership about the latest developments in the Structured Discussions at the Heads of 
Delegations' meetings and have engaged with Members at their request.  
2  NEXT STEPS  
9. In 2023, we envisage that  work will proceed along three separate but complementary tracks , 
namely :  
i. Review the "Draft IFD Agreement " including , but not limited to, addressing brackets,  and 
ensuring further clarity and coherence , with the  legal scrub bing process following an 
agreement in principle ; 
ii. Take up t he work on  needs assessment  for developing and LDC Members , starting with 
finalizing the IFD Self -Assessment Guide  and conducting pilot projects ; and, 
iii. Intensify outreach efforts towards other Members  in light of participants' aspiration to 
achieve a multilateral outcome .   
With a view to organizing  the work ahead of us , we will propose a schedule of meetings  for the 
first part of 2023.  
i. Process of "review " of the negotiating text  
10. The process of review will focus inter alia  on remaining brackets  and include a careful 
examination  across the "Draft IFD Agreement ", with the legal scrub bing to be carried out later 
on. We are confident that participants will remain  committed to build upon the "Draft IFD 
Agreement " and continue making pro gress with a view to finaliz ing the review process as soon 
as possible in 2023, and in any case within the first half of 2023 .  
ii. Inves tment facilitation needs assessment  
11. Reaffirm ing that facilitating greater developing and LDC Members' participation in global 
investment flows constitutes a core objective of the IFD Agreement , participants recognize d in 
the 2021 Joint Statement , the importance of support ing those Members in implementi ng the 
future IFD Agreement by addressing their identified needs through special and differential 
treatment, including technical assistance and capacity building.5 The needs assessment will be 
 
3 All documents have also been posted on the dedicated Investment Facilitation for Development portal  
of Members' section on the WTO website .  
4 The reports provide an illustrative review of the issues addressed by Members participating in the 
co-Coordinators ' consultations held in different configurations as well as additional comments expressed by 
participants in the plenary meetings of the Structure d Discussions.  
5 Joint Statement on Investment Facilitation for Development , WT/L/1130, 10 December 2021, para. 3.  INF/IFD/W/ 46 
 
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  important for developing and LDC Members also to identify the different categories of 
commitments that they will notify for the implementation of the Agreement.  
12. At the meeting held on 26 -27 January 2022, participating Members called for starting work on 
investment facilitation needs assessment . The first step , which is already underway,  is to develop 
an Investment Facilitation Self-Assessment Guide , drawing on the experience of the TFA 
Self-Assessment Guide . The preparation of this Guide,  coordinated by the WTO Secretariat in 
cooperation with seven partner international organizations,6 is expected to be finalized in early 
2023.  
13. We encourage participants to work with resolve and renewed efforts on IFD needs assessment  
in 2023 . Such pro -development implementing mechanism will not only benefit developin g and 
LDC participating Members,  but it will also signal what the Agreement has to offer in terms of 
technical assistance and capacity building to help Members attract more sustainable investment. 
With that objective in mind, a  Dedicated Session on IFD needs assessment, with the participation 
of partner organizations working on the development of the IFD Guide will be organized to 
present the Guide to IFD participants and outline a way forward for the implementation of the 
IFD needs assessments , including on available options for funding , in the first quarter of 2023 . 
We also encourage participants to start with pilot projects  during the first part of 2023 .7  
iii. Outreach  
14. In light of participants' aspiration to achieve a multilateral outcome  and with a view to paving 
the wa y towards incorporation of the future IFD Agreement into the WTO legal architecture , it 
will be key to further intensify outreach efforts . In this context, participants stressed the 
importance of encourag ing all WTO Memb ers to participate in this Joint Initiative , highlight ing 
the benefits of joining  the IFD Agreement , and explain ing its pro-develo pment dimension,  
including through the technical assistance and capacity building that will be available to 
participating Members . Hence WTO Members are strong ly enco uraged to step up outreach 
efforts , particularly towards developing and LDC Members.  
15. The co -Coordinators will also meet with groups of WTO Members to enhance understanding of 
the future IFD Agreement and its potential for promoting sustainable devel opment.  
The co -Coordinators  submit this Statement with the aspiration that the future IFD Agreement will  
reach another key landmark  by the next WTO Ministerial Conference MC13 . 
__________  
 
6 Interamerican Development Bank (I DB); International Trade Centre ( ITC); Organization for Economic 
Co-operation and Developmen t (OECD ); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ); 
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA ); World Bank Group ; and World Economic Forum 
(WEF). 
7 So far, two countries or group of countries have flagged their intention to take part in IFD needs 
assessment projects: the  OECS countries participating in the IFD initiative (Antigua and Barbuda; Dominica; 
and Grenada) and  Lao PDR.