INF/IFD/R/3  
 
11 June 2019  
(19-3994) Page: 1/4 
  Original: English  
 
 
 
WTO STRUCTURED DISCU SSIONS ON INVESTMENT  FACILITATION FOR DE VELOPMENT  
MEETING OF 16 MAY 20 19 
ELEMENTS AIMED AT EN HANCING INTERNATIONA L COOPERATION, INFOR MATION SHARING AND 
THE EXCHANGE OF BEST  PRACTICES, AND DEVE LOPMENT DIMENSION  
Summary of discussions  by the Coordinator1 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  On 16 May 2019, the Structured Discussions on Investment Facilitation for Development held 
an open -ended meeting, coordinated by H.E. Mr. Juan Carlos González (Colombia). Its main purpose 
was to engage in a concrete, example -based discussion with a view to developing the possible 
elements of a multilateral framework on investment facilitation aimed at  enhancing international 
cooperation, information sharing and the exchange of best practices , as well as those related to the 
development dimension . 
1.2.  In total, 7 submissions containing text -based examples  and suggestions on the  topics under 
consideration were circulated to all WTO Members prior to the meeting.2 Examples were tabled 
without prejudice to the submitting Members' positi on or views regarding both the joint initiative 
and the elements and/or issues addressed thereunder. The examples submitted drew from Members' 
regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements, WTO text, as well as other text suggestions.  
1.3.  Discussions at the meeting focused on the concrete text examples and suggestions submitted 
by Members, complemented, where appropriate, by examples submitted by the Coordinator , under 
his responsibility,  drawing from WTO text.3  
2  ELEMENTS  AIMED AT ENHANCING INTERNATIONAL COOPER ATION, INFORMATION 
SHARING AND THE EXCH ANGE OF BEST PRACTIC ES – EXAMPLE -BASED DISC USSIONS  
2.1.  The presentations of examples by Members and the Coordinator, as well as ensuing 
discussions, proceeded on an element -by-element basis  in the orde r in which the elements appear 
in the "Schedule of Meetings January – July 2019"4, namely:  
• International cooperation among Members, including through their competent 
authorities  
 
• International cooperation among Members at the multilateral level on investme nt 
facilitation -related matters, including through a WTO Committee  
 
2.2.  Participating Members generally agreed that international cooperation aimed at promoting a 
transparent and predictable regulatory environment to facilitate  investments among Members 
consti tuted a key element of the framework. Most examples submitted addressed both international 
                                                
1 This summary, prepared and circulated under the Coordinator's responsibility, is being shared with a 
view to providing delegations with a record of the discussions and assisting them in reporting back to their 
capitals. It provides a non -exhaustive, illust rative review of the issues addressed by Members at the me eting. 
2 Submissions were made by the following 7 Members : Australia; Brazil; Canada; China; Hong Kong, 
China; Mauritius; and the Russian Federation . The submissions were circulated as documents INF/IFD/RD/14, 
15, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21.  
3 The Coordinator's examples were circulated in document INF/IFD/RD/16.  
4 The latest version of the schedule  is contained in document INF/IFD/W/ 3/Rev.1 , dated 22 May 2019.  INF/IFD/R/3  
 
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  cooperation  among Members including through their relevant competent authorities (cross -border 
cooperation ), as well as cooperation at the multilateral level through  a WTO Investment Facilitation 
Committee . Members engaged in an interactive discussion on the different ways in which cross-
border cooperation on investment facilitation could be pursued and on the possible functions that an 
Investment Facilitation Committ ee could perform.  
2.1  International cooperation among Members, including through their competent 
authorities  (issue 64 of the checklist)  
2.3.  The examples and suggestions submitted  generally envisaged that  international cooperation 
among Members  could include inter alia the dissemination of information, sharing of experiences 
(including regarding the implementation of a future agreement on investment facilitation) and the 
exchange of best practices among Members, including through their competent authorities (e.g. 
contact points , enquiry points or focal points ), whose details shall be notified . Some examples 
provided for cooperation  in the form of exchange of information on investment opportunities, 
statistics  and domestic investors . Recognizing that cooperation needs may evolve other time one 
example foresaw the possibility for the parties to undertake further cooperation on agreed terms. A 
delegation from the Pacific Alliance made a presentation through video link on the Pacific Alliance's 
initiative for the facilitation of foreign investments , which aimed at identifying the main obstacles 
derived from regulations or measures  that prevent ed the expansion of FDI within the region .5  
2.2   International cooperation among Members at the multi lateral level on investment 
facilitation -related issues, including through a WTO Committee (issues 65, 66 and 33  of 
the checklist)  
2.4.  Participating Members underscored t he importance of having a WTO body in charge of  
overseeing the future operation of the framework. Most examples converged around the idea of 
establishing a n Investment Facilitation  Committee  in the WTO , open for participation to all Members,  
which wo uld meet on a regular basis to monitor the implementation of the framework.  The view that 
the recently established TFA Committee  could provide a suitable model was expressed  by several 
Members . While t he examples var ied in the degree of detail, most converged on the following 
functions , namely to  provid e a forum for : consultations  on any matters related to operation of the 
agreement or the furtherance of its objectives ; the exchange of information and best practices 
among Members; reviewing the implementation of the framework ; promoting further cooperation or 
joint initiatives on investment facilitation -related issues ; and cooperati ng with other international 
organizations . Some examples also foresaw the possibility for the Committee to compile and 
disseminate best practices; prepare annual report s on implementation of investment fac ilitation 
measures; and facilitate ad hoc discussion s among Members on specific issues with a view to 
reaching mutually agreed solution s. 
3  ELEMENTS  RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT DIMENSIO N – EXAMPLE -BASED 
DISCUSSIONS   
3.1.  Several delegations emphasized that development was at the core of the discussions. They 
highlighted the importance of investment in fostering economic growth, poverty reduction, job 
creation, as well as the expansion of productive capacity and  exports . Recalling that the 2017 Joint 
Ministerial Statement6 provided that  facilitat ing greater developing and LDC Members' participation 
in global investment flows constituted a key objective of the framework, they highlighted the role of 
an investment facilitation framework in helping Members t o attract and retain FDI . In this 
connection, the importance of supporting Members' efforts aimed at s trengthening the domestic 
regulatory environment and its efficiency was highlighted . Several delegations highlighted  the 
relevance of the TFA approach , while also indicat ing the need to adapt it to the investment facilitation 
context .  
3.1  Consideration of challenges faced by developing countries and especially LDCs  (issue  
70 of the checklist ) 
3.2.  Example s submitted in this area focused on  language recognizing the particular needs of 
developing countries and especially LDCs , and the desire to enhance support for capacity building  
                                                
5 The presentation is available on the investment facilitation website.  
6 Document WT/MIN(17)/59 of 13 December 2019.  INF/IFD/R/3  
 
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  to assist  these countries in this area with a view to strengthening their domestic frameworks and 
promot ing development . One delegation expressed the view that corporate social responsibility 
(CSR) constituted one way of promoting sustainable development.   In the same vein, a nother 
delegation indicated that it saw value in encouraging Members to follow CSR principle s through the 
framework and mentioned that a provision in that sense was found in its FTAs.  
3.2  Sharing of best practices and information on facilitating FDI to identify global 
benchmarks  (issue 71 of the checklist)  
3.3.  Delegations  who intervened indicated that th ey saw value in having a multilateral forum for 
sharing best practices on facilitating FDI with the aim of identifying global benchmarks that could 
help Members with the design and implementatio n of their investment facilitation measures. In 
presenting its  example  taken from a regional Model BIT, one Member indicated that the provision  
required the parties to actively cooperate in the develop ment and the sharing of best practices with 
the aim of establishing globally  acceptable benchmarks conducive to encouraging and increasing 
investment.  The importance of keeping a record of experiences and best practices shared among 
Members was stressed by delegations.     
3.3  Special and differential treatment – SDT (issue 72 of the checklist)  
3.4.  While it  was generally acknowledged that the framework would need to include some form of 
SDT, Member s discussed different ways of approaching th e issue.  The need for accommodating 
countries at very different levels of development  was stressed b y some delegations.  Some 
delegations expressed the view that SDT would need to be based on specific needs. It was also 
considered that the sharing of best practices was an important way of helping developing Members 
to implement commitments. The TFA approa ch was highlighted as a possible model by s everal 
delegations , either in their examples or during the discussions. It was also stated that the concrete 
nature and scope of the SDT provisions would ultimately depend on the type of commitments 
covered by the future investment facilitation  framework.   
3.4  Technical assistance and capacity building (issue 73 of the checklist)  
3.5.  Some d elegations indicated that technical assistance and capacity building was important to 
help developing Members, and specially LDCs, with  the implementation of the investment facilitation 
framework. Other s considered that technical assistance and capacity building based on  mutually  
agreed terms and implementation needs  could form part of the framework . Through one of its 
examples, one delegation suggest ed the consideration of a provision aimed at exploring and 
discussing the possibility of establishing an investment facilitation facility, which was inspired by the 
TFA Facility,  to manage the contribution s provided by Members on a voluntary basis with the aim of 
helping developing Members and specially LDCs to facilitate investment. Delegations also discussed 
the role of other international organizations in helping with the implementation of the framework.    
4  ANY OTHER INVESTMENT -FACILITATION RELATE D ISSUE S 
4.1.  The delegation of Switzerland shared its experience with the implementation of its single 
electronic window (EasyGov .swiss ),7 which aimed at providing a single "meta -portal" for companies 
to deal with all  authorities covering a firm's entire lifecycle , from incorporation to liquidation .8 The 
single electronic window  (SEW) launched in 2017 , was being gradually implemented, with the 
expectation to roll out its full capabilities by 2021 . Following a step -by-step approach and getting 
top-level political support to ensure the necessary domestic coordination were deemed key  for the 
implementation of the SEW .    
5  COMPENDIUM OF EXAMPL ES 
5.1.  As agreed at the  previous meeting, th e Coordinator prepared under his responsibility a n 
updated version of the  Compendium of the text -based examples submitted for discussion  
(INF/IFD/RD 5/Rev. 1). The Coordinator recalled that t he compendium aim ed at organizing the 
examples submitted in a coherent and user -friendly manner. It was a tool intended to facilitate open, 
                                                
7 The presentation is available on the investment facilitation website.  
8 The platform  currently provides a number of services includ ing providing general information, setting 
up a company, registering a company, tax registration, and social security registration.  INF/IFD/R/3  
 
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  transparent and inclusive discussions. The content, structure, and wording of the Compendium d id 
not, in any way, prejudge the position or views of Members on any of the elements and issues under 
discussion.  
5.2.  Delegat ions reiterated their support  to the Compendium , which was deemed a very useful tool 
to organize the issues under the different elements and show areas of convergence. Some 
delegations stressed that the Compendium could constitute a solid basis for text-based discussions 
with the aim of advancing towards a more outcome -oriented phase in the second half of the year . 
5.3.  The Coordinator indicated that a n updated version  of the document, including the elements 
discussed  at this meeting, would be prepared and circulated ahead of the next meeting.  
6  OTHER BUSINESS  
6.1.  No issue was raised under this agenda item.   
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