Enhancing Sustainable Investment Flows in Africa: Opportunities and challenges of investment facilitation through international agreements

Presentations from this webinar are now available to watch:

• IISD presentation on the opportunities and challenges of implementing investment facilitation at the national level - watch here.
• UN Trade and Development presentation on maximizing the development impact of the WTO Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement - watch here.
• UN Trade and Development presentation on the key characteristics and trends of international commitments on investment facilitation over time - watch here.
• South Centre presentation on South–South investment facilitation frameworks and strategic lessons for sustainable development in Africa - watch here.
• Jumia presentation on the private sector perspective of key challenges to investment within Africa and investment facilitation measures - watch here.
• Makane Moïse Mbengue on advancing sustainable investment facilitation in Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Investment Protocol - watch here.

Sustainable investment is essential for Africa’s economic transformation, driving growth and employment. However, many countries struggle to attract and retain such investment, often due to limited institutional and technical capacity to implement facilitation measures.

About this webinar

Regional and global agreements, including the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area's Protocol on Investment and the World Trade Organization's Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, provide useful frameworks and support to overcome these barriers. Realizing their full benefits, however, requires implementation that aligns with sustainable development priorities.

This webinar from IISD and UN Trade and Development will explore how African countries can navigate these opportunities and challenges in the run-up to the World Trade Organization's 14th Ministerial Conference in March 2026 in Cameroon. It is designed to help investment negotiators, investment promotion agencies, and policy-makers strengthen the sustainable development outcomes of their commitments, with practical guidance on how to make the most of technical assistance, capacity building, and special and differential treatment provisions in agreements.

Participation is open to policy-makers and government officials from across Africa. Please register here and indicate your institutional affiliation.