Investment Policy Forum
IISD's Investment Policy Forum is the world's only annual gathering of investment negotiators from developing countries and a driving force for global investment reform.
IISD hosts the annual Investment Policy Forum, the world's only yearly assembly of investment negotiators and policy-makers exclusively from developing countries. The IISD Investment Policy Forum leads the way on sustainable investment reform from the bottom up, driven by our global community of investment policy-makers from developing countries.
The 15th edition of the IISD Investment Policy Forum took place in Panama City, Panama, on October 25-27, 2023. The 16th edition of the Investment Policy Forum will be held in Manila, Philippines, on October 16-18, 2024.
The IISD Investment Policy Forum was launched in Singapore in 2007 to tackle the unique challenges facing officials from emerging economies working on investment. It has since evolved into an annual event and an indispensable network of developing country officials working on investment issues.
Through the sharing of experiences and best practices, and the discussion of emerging issues, the network helps to create systemic reform advancing sustainable development in emerging economies across the world.
The core goal of the event is to ensure that participating countries are able to attract responsible investment that advances sustainable development while safeguarding their legitimate policy space. Between events, the community also remains engaged through IISD's Investment Policy Network, regional meetings, and peer-to-peer exchanges.
With the complexity of the challenges facing governments worldwide—such as the climate crisis—many international investment reform processes coming to an end, and a growing number of countries launching national investment reforms, now more than ever, policy-makers need a space to build coalitions and engage in peer-to-peer exchange. The IISD Investment Policy Forum is that space.
2023 Investment Policy Forum
The 15th edition of the Investment Policy Forum took place in Panama City, Panama, in October 2023. Over 100 investment policy-makers and negotiators from more than 50 developing countries, regional bodies, and multilateral institutions participated—in person or virtually—in 3 days of panel discussions, workshops, and peer-to-peer learning sessions.
At the 2023 Investment Policy Forum, the IISD Model Contract Clauses for Responsible Investment in Agriculture toolkit for developing countries was launched. The toolkit provides legal provisions to help developing countries implement international best practices, principles, and guidance on responsible agricultural investment.
Co-Organizers and Partner Organizations
As the Investment Policy Forum organizer, IISD has partnered with international and regional organizations that have been regularly represented at the meetings:
- South Centre
- Commonwealth Secretariat
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- West African Economic and Monetary Union
- Caribbean Community
- Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa
- Southern African Development Community
- Pacific Islands Forum, Office of the Chief Trade Adviser
- United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Testimonials
Find out more about the Annual Forum and hear what participants, including Ambassador Xavier Carim of South Africa, have to say about the value of attending.
Investment Policy Forum: Upcoming and previous editions
Each year, the Investment Policy Forum is co-hosted by a developing country government in rotation from Asia to Africa to Latin America.
2024 Investment Policy Forum
The 16th edition of the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) Investment Policy Forum will be held in Manila, the Philippines, in October 2024.
2023 Investment Policy Forum
The 15th Investment Policy Forum was held in Panama City, Panama, from October 25 to 27, 2023. The event was organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and hosted by the Government of Panama.
14th Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators
The 14th Annual Investment Forum took place in 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria, with the theme: Coherence in International Investment Governance
13th Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators
The 13th Annual Forum was hosted by Thailand and took place virtually in 2020 with the theme: Investment Policymaking During COVID-19 and Beyond
12th Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators
The 12th Annual Forum took place in 2019 in Cartagena, Colombia, with the theme: Shifting International Investment Law Toward Sustainable Development
11th Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators
The 11th Annual Forum took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2018 with the theme: The Changing World of Investment Negotiations
Project team
Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder
Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe
Suzy H. Nikièma
Director, Investment
Flavia Thomé
Director, Project Management Office | Head of Operations, Economic Law and Policy
Florencia Sarmiento
Policy Analyst
Abas Kinda
Associate
Nyaguthii Maina
Associate
Lukas Schaugg
International Law Analyst
Josef Ostřanský
Policy Advisor
Sarah Brewin
Associate, Advisor Agriculture and Investment
Isaak Bowers
Communications Officer
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