APEC-OECD Seminar on Current FDI Trends and Investment Agreements: Challenges and Opportunities

The first APEC/OECD co-operative initiative on international investment in the Seminar "Current FDI Trends and Investment Agreements: Challenges and Opportunities" has concluded in Pucón, Chile.

Organized by the APEC Investment Experts' Group, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Chile Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sponsored by the Governments of Canada and Japan, the seminar took place on the 25th and 26th of May.

The seminar brought together a diverse range of APEC and OECD Investment delegates, private sector representatives, governmental officials, international investment negotiators, international organizations and arbitrators.

The intention of the seminar was to discuss a range of issues relating to foreign direct investment trends, sensitive disciplines in investment agreements, international investment disputes, as well as to explore future ways of cooperation among both foras regarding investment.

The seminar was conducted in four parts. The first relating to FDI trends focused on FDI flows in OECD and APEC economies. The second part looked at key principles in investment agreements such as transparency, minimum standards on fair and equitable treatment, expropriation and compensation, and most favoured nation treatment. The third part consisted of an overview of the challenges in International Investment Disputes. Finally the last part discussed the complementarities and synergies in the implementation of the IEG's and CIME's work, including comments of the private sector.

A final publication from the seminar will be released in the coming weeks that will contribute to current debate on FDI, Investment Agreements and International Disputes among APEC and OECD countries and economies. The seminar also had a task of bringing together representatives of OECD and APEC economies on these FDI and investment issues.

The OECD and APEC are considered major driving forces in the global economy with one third of APEC Member Economies also being members of the OECD. The shared experience and synergies among the fora of both forums contributed to the success of the seminar.

The seminar was held in the lead-up to the Second APEC Senior Officials Meeting and Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade.