INF/IFD/W/ 3 
 
18 April 2019  
(19-2577) Page: 1/4 
  Original: English  
 
  
STRUCTURED DISCUSSIO NS ON INVESTMENT FAC ILITATION FOR DEVELO PMENT  
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS1 
January – July 2019  
The following schedule of meetings for the period January -July 2019 — prepared under the 
Coordinator's responsibility and circulated as a proposal to all Members on 10 December 2018 — 
was endorsed by participating Members at the open -ended organizational meeting on the next phase 
of the Structured Discussions on Investment Facilitation for Development held on 30 January 2019.  
 
Following the guidance of the Joint Ministerial Statement,2 and based on feedback received from 
participating Members during the meeting on stock -taking and next steps held on 6 December 2018, 
the enclosed schedule focuses on the next step of the initiative – namely to develop t he possible 
elements of a multilateral framework on investment facilitation for development . It is based on the 
"Checklist of issues Raised by Members",3 which includes the possible elements of a multilateral 
framework on investment facilitation as identif ied by participating Members during the discussions 
held in 2018. The schedule is without prejudice to the position of any Member on the joint initiative 
and the issues discussed thereunder.  
 
With a view to facilitating the process, the meetings in 2019 w ill be organized thematically, covering 
the elements and issues drawn from the checklist. Based on the feedback received from Members, 
the issues in the checklist have been grouped under the different possible elements, as appropriate, 
with a view to organ izing the discussions in the most efficient manner. Explanatory notes regarding 
the grouping of issues have been added, where relevant. For ease of reference, the third column of 
the table indicates the reference numbers of issues in the checklist to be ad dressed under each of 
the possible elements. Members may revert to any issue discussed at previous meetings or raise 
any investment facilitation -related issues at any meeting.  
 
In keeping with the open, transparent, and inclusive nature of the discussions , all WTO Members 
are invited and encouraged to participate in the meetings.  
 
________________  
 
 
                                                
1 This revision of the Schedule of Meetings dated 8 March 2019 only concerns the date of the meeting in 
May (scheduled for one day only) – with the date of the April meeting updated to 11 April.  
2 Dated 13 December 2017 (WT/MIN (17)/59).  
3 The latest version of the "Checklist of Issues Raised by Members" dated 9 November 2018, was 
circulated to all Members as an annex to the Informal Note on Stock -taking and Next Steps on 27 November 
2018.   
  INF/IFD/W/ 3 
 
- 2 - SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS  
January  - July 2019  
 
 
 
Date  Theme of the meeting  Relevant issues in the 
checklist  
30 January  Organizational meeting   
4 March  
 
 
 
 
 
 Elements aimed at improving the transparency and predictability of investment 
measures  
 
• Publication and availability of measures and information  
 
 
• Notification to the WTO  
 
• Enquiry points  
 
• Specific exceptions applicable to transparency requirements  
 
• Other transparency -related issues  
 
• Any other investment facilitation -related issues  
 
Note : Issues 38, 39 and 45 of the checklist have been included for discussion at this meeting. 
All issues pertaining to one -stop shop/single wi ndow types of mechanisms have been grouped 
together and, therefore, issues 29 and 30 will be addressed at the April meeting. Issue 28 will 
be addressed under "focal point/contact point/ombudsperson types of mechanisms" at the April 
meeting. Issue 33 will b e addressed under the theme of "international cooperation, information 
sharing and exchange of best practices" at the May meeting.    
 
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 
13, 14, 15, 16, 27, 38, 39, 45  
 
 
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  
 
25, 26  
 
31 
 
32  
  INF/IFD/W/ 3 
 
- 3 - 11 April  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Elements aimed at streamlining and speeding up administrative procedures and 
requirements  (APRs)  
 
• Administrative procedures and documentation requirements  
 
• Time limits for administrative procedures  
 
• Treatment of incomplete applications  
 
• Fees and charges  
 
• Review of APRs  
 
• Use of ICT (e -government)  
 
• One-stop shop/single window types of mechanisms  
 
• Focal point/contact point/ombudsperson types of mechanisms  
(including relations with relevant stakeholders and dispute prevention)  
 
• Other issues related to streamlining and speeding up APRs  
 
• Any other investment facilitation -related issues (including on transparency and 
predictability)  
 
Note : Issues 38, 39 and 45 of the checklist  are addressed under "publication and availability of 
measures and information" at the March meeting. All issues pertaining to "focal point/contact 
point/ombudsperson types of mechanisms" have been grouped together, and hence issues 28, 
67 and 69 will be a ddressed at this meeting. The "use of ICT (e -government)" may be discussed 
under the different elements pertaining to the theme of this meeting, as appropriate.  
  
 
 
34, 35, 36, 37  
 
44, 46  
 
47, 48, 49  
 
56, 57  
 
58 
 
40, 41, 42, 43  
 
29, 30, 50, 51, 52  
 
28, 53, 54, 55, 67, 69  
 
 
59, 60, 61, 62, 63  
16 May  
 
 
 
 
 Elements aimed at enhancing international cooperation, information sharing, the 
exchange of best practices   
 
• International cooperation among Members, including through their competent authorities  
 
• International cooperation among Members at the multilateral level on investment 
facilitation -related matters, including through a WTO Committee  
 
 
  
 
 
64 
 
65, 66, 33  
 
 
 
  
  INF/IFD/W/ 3 
 
- 4 - Development dimension  (cross -cutting issue)  
 
• Consideration of challenges faced by developing countries and es pecially LDCs  
 
• Sharing of best practices and information on facilitating FDI to identify global benchmarks  
 
• Special and differential treatment  
 
• Technical assistance and capacity building  
 
• Any other investment facilitation -related issues  
 
Note : Issues 67 and 69 of the checklist are addressed under "focal/contact point/ombudsperson 
types of mechanisms" at the April meeting. Issue 68 will be addressed under "other cross -
cutting issues" at the June meeting.  
  
 
70 
 
71 
 
72 
 
73 
 
24-25 June  
 Other cross -cutting issues   
 
• Domestic institutional arrangements to enhance communication and coordination among 
relevant authorities at different levels of government  
 
• Scope of the multilateral framework; non -discrimination; best -endeavours language; 
challenges faced by MSMEs; relationship between the framework and current investment 
commitments among Members; role of the investment facilitation framework in combating 
corruption, promoting corporate social responsibility and promoting women empowerment  
 
• Any other investment facilitation -related issues  
  
 
68 
 
 
74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81  
 
 
18 July  Any other related issues that Members may wish to discuss  
  
 
 
 
__________