Workshop on Sustainable Investment for Government Officials in Malawi

Between February 28 and March 2, 2023, IISD held a 3-day in-person training workshop on agricultural investor–state contracts and international investment agreements in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The main objective of the workshop was to enhance government officials' understanding and awareness of:

• The relationship between international investment agreements (IIAs), investment contracts, and investment laws and their role in attracting sustainable investment in Malawi. 
• Selected clauses in investment treaties and investment contracts and understanding of investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS).
• Opportunities and risks posed by large-scale agribusiness investments and the role of agricultural investment contracts in mitigating these risks and promoting sustainable development. 
• Best practices to enhance policy coherence and improve negotiation outcomes for responsible investments, with a focus on agriculture.

This capacity-building workshop brought together 30 government officials from the Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Trade and Industry; Office of the President; the Green Belt Authority; Ministry of Agriculture Livestock Fisheries and Co-operatives; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Malawi Investment and Trade Centre; Ministry of Finance; Public Private Partnership Commission; Reserve Bank of Malawi; Ministry of Natural Resources Energy and Mining; and Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. These are all relevant institutions dealing with agricultural investment contracts, bilateral investment treaties, and/or agricultural investment laws.