INF/IFD/W/11  
 
14 Novem ber 2019  
(19-7822) Page: 1/3 
  Original: English  
 
 
WTO STRUCTURED DISCU SSIONS ON INVESTMENT   
FACILITATION FOR DEV ELOPMENT  
 
MEETING OF 25-26 NOVEMBER 2019  
ANNOTATED AGENDA BY THE COORDINATOR  
Following the convening notice sent to all delegations on  1 Novem ber 2019, this annotated agenda 
is intended to facilitate discussions at the upcoming meeting.  The main purpose of th e meeting is 
to address the following four sections of the Working Document (INF/IFD/RD/39):  
• Section V: Special and differential treatment for  developing and least -developed 
country Members;  
• Section VI: Cross -cutting issues;  
• Section I: Scope and general principles; and  
• Section VII: Institutional arrangements and final provisions.   
The meeting will also provide the opportunity for Members to reve rt to any issues discussed at 
previous meetings , or to raise any other investment facilitation -related issues that they may wish. 
In keeping with the open, transparent and inclusive nature of this initiative, all WTO Members are 
invited to participate in t he meeting. Attendance of/participation in the meeting is without prejudice 
to Members' position on the joint initiative . 
1  JOINT MINISTERIAL ST ATEMENT ON INVESTMEN T FACILITATION FOR D EVELOPMENT  
1.1.  On 5 November 2019, 92 WTO Members participating in the Struct ured Discussions co -signed 
a joint ministerial statement on investment facilitation for development (document WT/L/1072).  
Under this agenda item, the opportunity will be provided to the co -signatories to inform  the other 
Members . 
2  THEMATIC DISCUSSION BASED ON THE WORKING DOCUMENT  
2.1.  In line with the working methodology endorsed by participating Members at the organizational 
meeting held on 23 September 2019 (Annex to document INF/IFD/W/7), the working document 
(INF/IFD/RD/39) will serve as a ba sis for Members' substantive discussions at the meeting .  
2.2.  Based on the Schedule of Meetings for the period September -December 2019 (INF/IFD/W/8), 
and with a view to organizing the discussions in the most efficient manner, the meeting will be 
structured on an element -by-element basis, following the order of the elements as they appear in 
the Schedule of Meetings – namely :  
2.1  Special and differential treatment for developing and least -developed country 
Members  (Section V of the working document, pp. 22-24) 
• General principles  
• Implementation  
• Technical assistance and capacity building   INF/IFD/W/11  
 
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  2.2  Cross -cutting issues  (Section VI of the working document , pp. 25-28) 
• Micro, Small and Medium -Sized Enterprises (MSMEs)  
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)   
• Measures against co rruption / Anti -corruption  
2.3  Scope and general principles (Section I of the working document , pp. 6-7) 
• Scope   
• Non-Discrimina tion 
2.3.   When presenting their views  and/or positions on "scope" , Members are invited to consider  – 
next to the guiding questions referred to in paragraph 2.5 – the following more specific guiding 
questions with the aim of facilitating the discussions:  
a. Do Members agree that the framework would apply to foreign direct investment1 (and 
thus not to, e.g. , portfolio investment)?  If that is the case, do Members think that the 
framework would need to  include any definitions (e.g. 'investment ' and/or 'investor' )? 
b. Should the framework cover the whole "investment life -cycle" (e.g., admission, 
establishment, ac quisition, expansion, sale or other disposition of investments) – or 
only specific stages (e.g. admission , establishment , expansion )?  Would the coverage 
of the different Sections of the Working Document need to be adapted  depending on 
the case ? 
c. Should the  framework apply to measures at all levels of government?  
2.4  Institutional arrangements and final provisions (Section V II of the working 
document , pp. 2 9-30) 
• WTO Committee on Investment Facilitation   
• Final Provisions  
2.4.  On each of the above elements and in successive order, after an introduction by the Coordinator 
of the respective element, Members will be invited to provide their concrete views/positions/  
contributions.  In addition, Members may wish to provide their views on the preamble (p. 5 of the 
worki ng document).  Members are encouraged to actively participate  in the discussions.  
2.5.  While presenting their views/positions/contributions, Members are invited to consider the 
following guiding questions  with the aim of facilitating discussions and having an i nteractive 
meeting:  
a. Is the element/issue as such pertinent for a multilateral investment facilitation 
framework? Is the wording suitably adapted to investment facilitation?  
b. Do you have any preference for a particular language  formulation provided in the 
working document ?  
c. Are there other issues that should be contemplated as part of this specific 
element/issue?  
                                                
1 The Joint Ministerial Statement provides  that the structured discussions shall seek to identify and 
develop "the elements of a framework for facilitating foreign direct investments"  (para. 4), WT/MIN(17)/59, 
dated 13 December 2017.  INF/IFD/W/11  
 
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  3  ANY OTHER INVESTMENT  FACILITATION -RELATE D ISSUES  
3.1.  Under this agenda item, delegations may raise any other investment f acilitation -related issue 
and/or revert to any issues discussed at previous meeting s.2  Members may also make any 
comments on the "Assessment by the Coordinator", prepared under my responsibility . 
4  OTHER BUSINESS  
__________  
                                                
2 The meeting held on 17  October addressed sections II and IV, a nd the meeting held on 31  October 
focused on section III of the working document.