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Investment Law & Policy

IISD works with governments, intergovernmental institutions, and civil society to develop innovative legal and policy tools that ensure international investments drive sustainable development.

Sustainable development is an investment issue. Investment is needed to alleviate poverty, create jobs, accelerate the energy transition, and develop the key infrastructure communities need to prosper.

IISD works with governments, international institutions, academics, and civil society to develop policy tools and legal frameworks that link investment to sustainable development outcomes. Our innovative approaches to investment law and policy advance sustainable investments, generating social, economic, and environmental benefits.

IISD's experts examine how to improve the rules and institutions that govern international investment flows for the benefit of emerging economies and publish independent, high-quality, and impactful research. Building on our expertise, we propose viable alternatives to some of the most burning issues within international investment.

We provide workshops, training, and advisory services to government officials and civil society actors across a wide range of developing economies. IISD hosts the annual Investment Policy Foruma unique event that brings together investment officials from developing economies across the world and has created a truly global network for change.

In addition, IISD's team of experts track and support key reform processes within international investment law to ensure robust sustainability outcomes. We are leading the way in reforming how disputes are settled under investment treatiesa process known as investorstate dispute settlement (ISDS).

This includes being a member of the United Nations Conference on International Trade Law process for ISDS reform and our 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.

We are a founding member of the World Investment for Development Alliance, a global platform dedicated to promoting investment for sustainable development. 

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