Capacity building for investment facilitation for development

Event Type
Virtual Event

Location/Date
Online, 01.02.2022

Organiser

International Trade Centre (ITC) and the German Development Institute/ Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)


This is the 10th of a virtual event series on investment facilitation for development, held in the framework of a joint ITC/DIE project on Investment Facilitation for Development.

The public virtual event will discuss capacity building for investment facilitation for development. In particular, it will focus on issues related to analysing gaps and assessing needs of developing WTO Members. Special attention will be given to least-developed country Members with regard to the implementation of a future Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement.

The negotiations on an IFD Agreement ongoing at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) focus on a range of investment facilitation measures relating to the entire life-cycle of investment projects. While a number of these measures have been implemented to a certain extent by a number of developing countries, many others will still have to be implemented or have to be strengthened.

Yet, many foreign direct investment competent authorities in developing countries – including investment promotion agencies – have very limited resources, and implementing the Agreement might require a whole-of-government approach. Participating WTO Members will have to undertake self-assessment analyses of the gaps in implementation that have to be addressed and, following from these analyses, to identify their needs for technical assistance and support for capacity building. This, in turn, is not only important to benefit fully from the Agreement, but also to be able to self-designate the speed with which various investment facilitation measures can be implemented. Such gap analyses and needs assessment are potentially also relevant in the context of other (bilateral and regional) agreements negotiated by individual countries, e.g., by African countries.

The virtual event will therefore discuss key issues regarding how to undertake self-assessments of implementation gaps and technical assistance needs. As usual, the results of the discussion will be communicated to the negotiators of the IFD Agreement.

Agenda and speakers

Introduction

  • Rajesh Aggarwal, Director (oic), Division for Market Development, ITC
     

Moderator

  • Karl P. Sauvant, Resident Senior Fellow, Columbia University, CCSI
     

Speakers

  • Mathias Francke, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Chile to the WTO, Coordinator of the Structured Discussion on Investment Facilitation for Development — “The status of the WTO investment facilitation negotiations”
     
  • Joel Richards, Senior Technical Specialist, Permanent Delegation of OECS in Geneva — “The importance of self-designation, gap analyses and need assessments”
     
  • Sheri Rosenow, Customs Attorney and Counsellor, WTO – “Lessons from implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement”
     
  • Vilayphone Xindavong, Deputy Director General, Department of Foreign Trade Policy, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR – “Implementing the IFD Agreement: The need for technical assistance and capacity building – an LDC’s perspective”
     
  • Ivan Nimac, Lead Private Sector Specialist and Global Lead, World Bank — “Practical issues in conducting gap analyses and need assessments”
     

Concluding remarks

 


Hinweis / Please note

Während unserer Veranstaltungen werden z.T. Foto- und/oder Filmaufnahmen gemacht, die für Zwecke der Veranstaltungsberichterstattung und allgemeinen Öffentlichkeitsarbeit in verschiedenen Medien veröffentlicht werden. Sie haben jederzeit das Recht, die Foto- oder Videograf*innen darauf hinzuweisen, dass Sie nicht aufgenommen werden möchten.
 

During our events photos and/or videos may be taken which may be published in various media for the purposes of documentation and PR activities. You have the right at any time to point out to the photographer or videographer that you do not want to be photographed or filmed.

Event information

Date / h
01.02.2022 / 15:00 - 16:00

Location

Online

Registration

Like all ITC/DIE events, participation in the event is free of charge. However, it is necessary to register for the event in order to receive the meeting link details (please click here).