WT/MIN(17)/48  
 
11 December 2017  
(17-6823) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017    
 
 
JOINT MINISTERIAL ST ATEMENT ON INVESTMEN T  
FACILITATION FOR DEV ELOPMENT  
 
The following communication, dated 11 December 2017, is being circulated at the request of  the 
delegation of China on behalf of the co -sponsors of the Joint Ministerial Statement.  
 
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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 Salvado r; European 
Union;  Guatemala; Guinea; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea; Lao PDR; Liberia; 
Macao, China; Malaysia; Mexico; Moldova; Montenegro; Myanmar; New Zealand; Nigeria; 
Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Qatar; Russian Federation; Singapore; Togo;  Switzerland;  and 
Uruguay, met on 10 December 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the margins of 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 Informal Dialogu e 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 welcome the Draft Ministerial Decision on Invest ment Facilitation for Development 
(WT/MIN(17)/12) whic h calls for  beginning structured discussions with the aim of developing a 
multilateral framework on investment facilitation. The se discussions shall seek to identify and 
develop the elements of a framew ork for facilitating foreign direct investments that would: 
improve the transparency and predictability 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 
prevention. These discussions shall also seek to clarify the framework's relationship and interaction 
with existing WTO provisions, with current investment commitme nts among Members, and with 
the investment facilitation work of other international organizations. 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 o n 2-3 November 
2017 in Abuja, Nigeria , we recognize the importance of continuous outreach to WTO Members, 
especially developing and least d eveloped Members, through multilateral and regional activities, 
such as seminars, workshops, and other High Level Forums, to learn more about their investment 
facilitation priorities and needs, and to explain how a multilateral fra mework  could help to addr ess 
them.  
6.   We also agree that facilitating greater developing and least -developed Members' 
participation in global investment flows should constitute a core objective of the framework. WT/MIN(17)/48  
 
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  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 call for a dedicated Minister -level meeting on investment facilitation at the Eleventh 
Ministerial Conference (MC11) , led by a facilitato r, for Members to discuss this important topic . We 
also encourage  all WTO Members to actively participate in this d edicated session  and to endorse 
the Draft Ministerial Decision on Investment Facilitation for Development.  
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