WT/L/1072  
 
5 November 2019  
(19-7479) Page: 1/2 
  Original: English  
 
JOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON INVESTM ENT FACILITATION FOR  DEVELOPMENT  
 
 
The following communication, dated 5 November 2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegations of Afghanistan; Argentina; Australia; Barbados; Brazil; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; 
Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia;  Congo; Costa Rica; Djibouti; 
Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; European Union; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; 
Guatemala; Guinea;  Guinea -Bissau; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Japan; Kazakhstan; 
Korea, Republic of; Kuwait, the State of; Kyrg yz Republic; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Liberia; 
Macao, China; Mauritania; Mexico; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; New Zealand; Nigeria; North 
Macedonia; Norway; Pakistan; Paraguay; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Seychelles;  
Sierra Leo ne; Singapore; Suriname; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Turkey; Uruguay; Vanuatu; Yemen; 
Zambia; and Zimbabwe .  
 
_______________  
 
 
1.  We, the Ministers representing the following Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO):  
Afghanistan; Argentina; Australia; Barb ados; Brazil; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Canada; 
Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Congo; Costa Rica; Djibouti; Dominica; 
Dominican Republic; Ecuador; European Union; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guatemala; 
Guinea;  Guinea -Bissau; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Republic 
of; Kuwait, the State of; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Liberia; Macao, China; 
Mauritania; Mexico; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; New Zealand; Nigeria; North  Macedonia; 
Norway; Pakistan; Paraguay; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Seychelles;  Sierra 
Leone; Singapore; Suriname; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Turkey; Uruguay; Vanuatu; Yemen; Zambia; 
and Zimbabwe , welcome the significant progress made by th e WTO Structured Discussions on 
Investment Facilitation for Development since the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos 
Aires.  
2.  We recognize the reinforcing relationship between trade and investment and their key role to 
leverage development in toda y's global economy, as well as the need for closer international 
cooperation at the global level to create a more transparent, efficient, and predictable environment 
for facilitating cross -border investment.  
3.  We fully support the 2017 Joint Ministerial Stat ement1 adopted in Buenos Aires aiming at 
developing a multilateral framework on Investment Facilitation for Development. We also agree that 
facilitating greater developing and least -developed Members' participation in global investment flows 
should constitute a core objective of the framework. The discussions shall not address market 
access, investment protection, and Investor -State Dispute Settlement.  
4.  We welcome the high -level engagement among WTO Members in the ongoing Structured 
Discussions on Investment Faci litation for Development. These discussions will continue to be 
Member -driven, transparent, inclusive and open to all WTO Members. We consider that the Working 
Document (prepared by the Coordinator under his responsibility and circulated to all WTO Members )2 
constitutes a sound basis for continued progress in the current discussions.  
                                                
1 Joint Ministerial Statement on Investment Facilitation for Development contained in WTO document  
WT/MIN(17)/59 dated 13 December 2017.  
2 Contained in document INF/IFD/RD/39 dated 24 July 2019.  WT/L/1072  
 
- 2 - 
 
  5.  We are committed to intensify work to further develop the framework for facilitating foreign direct 
investments, and work towards a concrete outcome on Investment Facilitation  for Development at 
the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12). We agree to continue our outreach efforts to WTO 
Members, especially developing and least -developed Members, to ensure that the framework helps 
to address their investment facilitation prio rities and needs.  
6.  We encourage all WTO Members to actively participate in this process . 
 
__________