14th Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators

The 14th Annual Forum took place in Abuja, Nigeria, from 11th to 13th of October, 2022. The theme of this event was “Coherence in International Investment Governance, Crafting a Holistic Approach to Investments that Work for Sustainable Development.” 

Since the inaugural event in 2007, the Annual Forum has grown to become the premier platform for delegates from developing and emerging economies to convene and discuss the latest developments in investment law and policy.

This year, the forum included several panel discussions on the following topics:

• Recent Developments in International Investment Law, Policy-Making, and Arbitration in an Era of Overlapping Crises 
• Horizontal Coherence: Understanding the relationship between international investment law and other international laws 
• Vertical Coherence: Understanding the interaction among different levels of legal and policy instruments governing investment 
• Coherence in Investment Dispute Settlement: Global and regional processes 
• Bringing It All Together: Identifying key building blocks to ensure coherent investment policy-making 
• Guiding Principles for Crafting a Holistic Approach to Investment for Sustainable Development 

Participants also got the chance to discuss the following topics during breakout sessions:

• Sharing Recent Developments and Practical Experiences in Reforming Existing Old-Generation Investment Treaties 
• Reflecting on Options to Integrate Other Components of Sustainable Development in Ongoing Investment Negotiations and Reform Processes 
• Developing a Selection of Enabling Mechanisms to Ensure Coherent International Investment Governance 

At the end of the forum, participants had the opportunity to network and reconnect with each other after two years without an in-person forum.

Event sessions were also broadcast for virtual attendees.