International Investment Agreement Reform: Modernizing the Existing Stock of Treaties

Senior policy-makers from Asia–Pacific governments will discuss the reform of international investment agreements (IIAs) at this five-day workshop focused on modernizing the existing stock of treaties in line with today's sustainable development imperative.

The technical policy workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, will open with a half-day public seminar on February 19, 2018. It is co-hosted by IISD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Institute for Trade and Development and the Government of Thailand.

Topics on the agenda include:

• Reform of the global investment regime: trends in investment, treaties and dispute settlement
• Sustainability dimensions in project and investment agreements
• Economic and societal benefits and costs of investment treaties
• Selected substantive issues: most-favoured nation treatment, fair and equitable treatment, indirect expropriation, transfer of funds
• Harnessing public-private partnerships (PPPs) for sustainable development
• Guidelines for sustainable development-oriented national investment policy making
• Dispute prevention, governance and institution building