Towards G20 Guiding Principles on Investment Facilitation for Sustainable Development

By Axel Berger, Ahmad Ghouri, Tomoko Ishikawa, Karl P. Sauvant, and Matthew Stephenson

Abstract

There is growing support behind an international framework to facilitate investment for sustainable development. This Policy Brief suggests that the G20 consider adopting Guiding Principles on Investment Facilitation for Sustainable Development, to help ensure that these efforts result in an effective, coherent, and developmentoriented outcome. To this end, this Brief proposes guiding principles to: (1) orient investment facilitation, (2) facilitate sustainable FDI, (3) integrate facilitation throughout the investment lifecycle, (4) engage in multistakeholder consultations, (5) ensure shared responsibilities, (6) encourage cooperative activities, (7) adopt a whole-of-government approach, (8) focus on national efforts within a multilateral framework, and (9) support capacity building coupled with flexibility.