WT/MIN(17)/59  
 
13 December 2017  
(17-6873) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
JOINT MINISTERIAL ST ATEMENT ON INVESTMEN T  
FACILITATION FOR DEV ELOPMENT  
 
The following communication, dated 13 December 2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation s of Argentina; Australia; Benin; Brazil; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; 
Costa Rica; El Salvador; European Union; Guatemala; Guinea; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; 
Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait, the State of; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People’ s 
Democratic Republic; Liberia; Macao, China; Malaysia; Mexico; Moldova, Republic of; Montenegro; 
Myanmar; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Qatar; Russian 
Federation; Singapore; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Togo; and Uruguay . 
 
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1.  We, the Ministers representing the following Members of the WTO: Argentina; Australia; Benin; 
Brazil; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; El Salvador; European Union;  
Guatemala; Guinea; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Kaz akhstan; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait, 
the State of; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Liberia; Macao, China; Malaysia; 
Mexico; Moldova, Republic of; Montenegro; Myanmar; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Pakistan; 
Panama; Paraguay; Qatar; Ru ssian Federation; Singapore; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Togo; and 
Uruguay, met in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) .  
2.  We recognize the dynamic links between investment, trade and development in today’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 welcome the high -level engagement among Members in the WTO Infor mal Dialogue on 
Investment Facilitation for Development, which has demonstrated that many Members are 
undertaking wide -ranging reforms to facilitate investment at the national, bilateral, as well as 
regional levels.  
4.  We call for beginning structured discuss ions with the aim of developing a multilateral 
framework on investment facilitation. These discussions shall seek to identify and develop the 
elements of a framework for facilitating foreign direct investments that would: improve the 
transparency and predi ctability of investment measures; streamline and speed up administrative 
procedures and requirements; and enhance international cooperation, information sharing, the 
exchange of best practices, and relations with relevant stakeholders, including dispute pr evention. 
These discussions shall also seek to clarify the framework's relationship and interaction with 
existing WTO provisions, with current investment commitments among Members, and with the 
investment facilitation work of other international organizati ons. These discussions shall not 
address market access, investment protection, and Investor -State Dispute Settlement.  
5.  Building on the successful outcome of the High -Level Forum on Trade and Investment 
Facilitation for Development, co -hosted by Nigeria and the ECOWAS Commission on 2 -3 November 
2017 in Abuja, Nigeria, we recognize the importance of continuous outreach to WTO Members, 
especially developing and least developed Members, through multilateral and regional activities, 
such as seminars, workshops, a nd other High Level Forums, to learn more about their investment 
facilitation priorities and needs, and to explain how a multilateral framework could help to address 
them.  WT/MIN(17)/59  
 
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  6.  We also agree that facilitating greater developing and least -developed Members' part icipation 
in global investment flows should constitute a core objective of the framework. Working in 
cooperation with relevant intergovernmental organizations, developing and least developed 
Members' requirements in implementing the multilateral framework shall be assessed, so that 
technical assistance and capacity building support can be made available to address these 
identified needs.  
7.  We further agree that the right of Members to regulate in order to meet their policy objectives 
shall be an integral part  of the framework. The framework shall also be designed to be flexible, 
adaptable, and responsive to the evolving investment facilitation priorities of Members.  
8.  We agree Members should meet early in 2018 to discuss how to organize outreach activities 
and s tructured discussions on this important topic. We also encourage all WTO Members to 
actively participate in this work.  
 
 
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