INF/IFD/W/8  
17 September 2019  
(19-5954) Page: 1/2 
  Original:   English   
 
  
STRUCTURED DISCUSSIO NS ON INVESTMENT FAC ILITATION FOR DEVELO PMENT  
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS  
September – December 2019  
1  The proposed schedule of meetings for the period September – December 2019 has been prepared 
under the Coordinator's responsibility. It has been prepared following extensive consultations with 
delegations.  
 
2  Following the guidance of the Joint Ministerial Statement,1 the proposed schedule has been 
prepared with a vi ew to assist Members in developing the elements of a multilateral framework on 
investment facilitation for development . The proposed schedule of meetings is without prejudice to 
the position of any Member on the issues under discussion.  
 
3  With a view to fac ilitating the process, the meetings during the second part of 2019 will continue 
to be organized thematically, based on the working document prepared and circulated by the 
Coordinator in July 2019,2  under his own responsibility at the request of participa ting Members. 
Based on the feedback received from Members, the issues under consideration have been distributed 
in three substantive meetings, with the aim of allocating the topics/issues and workload in a balanced 
and efficient manner. This will allow Mem bers to prepare in advance and focus on the different 
elements/issues under discussion at each meeting. At every meeting, Members will have the 
opportunity to revert to issues discussed at previous meetings or raise any investment facilitation -
related issu es.  
 
4  Work will continue to be Member -driven and outcome -oriented. Members are encouraged to 
actively participate in the discussions and to provide their concrete views /positions  on the different 
issues under consideration at each meeting.  
 
5  In keeping wit h the open, transparent, and inclusive nature of the discussions, all WTO Members 
are invited and encouraged to participate in the meetings.  
 
________________  
 
 
                                                
1 Dated 13 December 2017 (WT/MIN(17)/59).  
2 The working document is contained in document INF/IFD/RD/39, dated 24 July 2019.   
  INF/IFD/W/8  
 
- 2 - PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF  MEETINGS  (SEPTEMBER – DECEMB ER 2019)3  
23 September  
Organizational  
meeting  17–18 October  31 October –1 November  
 25–26 November  12–13 December  
Stock -taking 
meeting  
• Proposed schedule of 
meetings  
 
• Presentation/  
Introduction  
of working document  
 
 Transparency and predictability of 
investment measures (Section II)  
 
• Publication and availability of 
measures and information  
• Notification to the WTO  
• Enquiry points  
• Specific exceptions to transparency 
requirements  
Contact/focal point 
/Ombudsperson  types of 
mechanisms, arrangements to 
enhance domestic coordination 
and cro ss-border cooperation 
(Section IV ) 
 
• Contact point/focal 
point/Ombudsperson types of 
mechanisms  
• Domestic coordination  
• National Committee on Investment 
Facilitation  
• Cross -border cooperation   
 
Any other investment facilitation - 
related issue that Members may wish 
to discuss  Streamlining and speeding up 
administrative procedures and 
requirements  (Section III ) 
 
• Consistent, reasonable, objective, 
impartial a dministration of 
measures  
• Reduction and s implification of 
administrative procedures and 
documentation requirements  
• Clear criteria and requirement s for 
administrative procedures  
• Authorization/approval procedures  
• Treatment of incomplete and 
rejection of applications  
• Fees and charges  
• Periodic review of administrative 
procedures and requirements  
• Use of ICT/e -government  
• One-stop shop /single window types 
of mechanisms  
• Independence of competent 
authorities  
• Appeal and review  
Any other investment facilitation - 
related issue that Members ma y wish 
to discuss  Special and differential treatment 
for developing and least -
developed country Members 
(Section V ) 
 
• General principles  
• Implementation  
• Technical assistance and capacity 
building  
Cross -cutting issues (Section VI)  
 
• Micro, Small and Medium Sized 
Enterprises ( MSMEs ) 
• Corporate Social Responsibility 
(CSR) 
• Measures against corruption/ Anti-
corruption  
Scope and general principles  
(Section I ) 
 
Institutional arrangements and 
final provisions ( Section VII ) 
 
Any other investment facilitation - 
related issue that Members may wish 
to discuss   
__________  
                                                
3 The sections in the schedule are those of the working document (INF/IFD/RD/39).