Investment Capacity Building and Advisory Services

As the international investment regime evolves into an increasingly complex web of investment treaties and host government contracts, IISD helps enable developing countries to obtain a full understanding of the implications of these legal instruments and to level the playing field in investment negotiations and disputes.

To help achieve this goal, IISD’s highly qualified international lawyers offer advisory services on investment treaties and contracts with respect to investment negotiations, implementation and disputes. This includes bilateral and regional investment treaties and chapters in broader agreements.

IISD also conducts workshops and training courses for negotiators of investment treaties and contracts as well as policy-makers and government officials involved in international investment issues. This capacity-building work includes the Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators.

To learn more about IISD advisory services, please reach out to our team at [email protected] for a rapid response from one of our lawyers. To learn more about additional and longer-term support to developing countries, IISD suggests that governments request support through the Trade Advocacy Fund (TAF2+). To learn more about their process and to apply to funding, feel free to contact us for assistance.

Since beginning our advisory services work, we have collaborated with various countries, providing demand-driven support. The countries we have worked in include: 

Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo DRC, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lao PDR, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.

We have also provided adivsory services to various regional country groupings, institutions, and processes. These include:

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) process, the African Union (AU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC/ECCAS), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), various African parliamentary groups, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

The map below shows the countries where we have provided in-country support over the past two years (2017-2019). 

For more information, please view our brochure in English, French and Spanish.