Workers installing solar panels

Creating Sustainable Reform

IISD works with governments, international institutions, academics, and civil society to propose and support reform in international investment treaties, laws, and policies.

IISD works with governments, international institutions, academics, and civil society to identify, propose, and support reform across the international investment field to enhance sustainable development. Our work covers treaties, laws, contracts, and policies.

As the host organization of the annual Investment Policy Forum—a unique event exclusively for investment negotiators from emerging economies—and through our advisory services and workshops with developing countries on every continent, we promote sustainable, bottom-up reform of the international investment landscape.

Driving sustainable reform on the multilateral level, we are a member of the Task Force for the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Investment Protocol, the United Nations Conference on International Trade Law process for ISDS reform (the so-called UNCITRAL Working Group III), and we have an instrumental role on reform of the Energy Charter Treaty—where we are working for the removal of one of the key remaining obstacles to the green energy transition and advancing sustainable legal solutions.

In addition, IISD's Investment team is a member of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Multi-Stakeholder Platform on International Investment Agreement Reform, and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law and International Chamber of Commerce’s Working Group on modernizing international investment contracts.