Investment is the foundation of economic activity and a necessary prerequisite to innovation, growth of manufacturing and trade.
In 1993, APEC leaders welcomed the report presented by the APEC Eminent Persons Group, which recommended for APEC to “adopt an Asia-Pacific Investment Code to reduce the uncertainties and transaction costs of trade and investment in the region.” Immediately after, leaders instructed the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) to develop a set of nonbinding investment principles.
In 1994, the CTI established the Investment Experts’ Group (IEG) to fulfill this task. . The IEG developed the Non-Binding Investment Principles, which were endorsed by APEC leaders in Jakarta in 1994. As a CTI sub-forum, the IEG has worked to enhance liberalization and facilitation of investment, as well as strengthen member economies’ capacity building through economic and technical cooperation.
Bearing in mind the goal of economic development and prosperity of people across the APEC region, the objectives of the IEG are as follows:
- To undertake work related to investment and report its outcomes to the CTI
- To address issues related to investment and to enhance the liberalization and facilitation of investment in the APEC region
- To enhance capacity building in the area of investment through economic and technical cooperation among member economies in the APEC region
- To support investment promotion activities of member economies to facilitate investment flows in the region
Based on these objectives, the IEG reaffirms two principal pillars of its work as follows:
- International investment regime—principles and practices. This pillar looks at various investment issues and challenges from the perspective of international instruments such as International Investment Agreements (IIAs).
- Investment promotion, facilitation and retention, such as continuing the work on the Investment Facilitation Action Plan (IFAP), Investment Policy Dialogue (IPD), Investment Promotion Agency (IPA), best practice discussions and other crosscutting issues such as global value chains (GVC), public-private partnerships (PPP) and infrastructure.
APEC Non-Binding Investment Principles (NBIPs)
The APEC Non-Binding Investment Principles (NBIPs) demonstrate APEC’s commitment to promoting investment and addressing challenges posed by a rapidly evolving business environment. The NBIPs, originally endorsed in 1994, were successfully revised in 2011.
Investment Facilitation Action Plan
In 2008, APEC Ministers endorsed an Investment Facilitation Action Plan (IFAP) that is aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of economic growth of APEC’s member economies and making further progress towards achievement of the Bogor Goals. The IFAP includes a comprehensive prescription of actions that can be taken across a range of policy areas and has served as a valuable reference tool for the improvement of the APEC investment climate. The IEG has reviewed the action plan’s implementation progress and published five reports in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2023.
In 2025, the IFAP was upgraded to align with APEC’s current policy objectives under the Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the Aotearoa Plan of Action. The updated framework emphasises investment facilitation measures that incorporate digitalisation, inclusivity, and sustainability, while reinforcing transparency and reducing barriers to investment to promote the flow of quality investment. According to the Work Programme for Implementing the upgraded IFAP, the IEG will oversee its implementation.
Last page update: October 2026
Contacts
|
Mariana Pinto Schmidt (Ms) Legal Advisor, Investment, Services and Digital Economy Department
Directorate-General for Multilateral Economic Affairs |
Takanori KIKUCHI (Mr) Program Director |
Current Activities
The Latest IEG Meeting
The Investment Experts’ Group (IEG) held its second plenary meeting for 2026 (IEG2) on 22–23 August 2026. The meeting brought together representatives from 15 APEC economies. Among other matters, IEG members discussed the following:
1. Domestic Investment Policy Design and Implementation
Members discussed emerging investment policy issues, including quality and sustainable investment, inclusive and responsible business and investment, investment policies for digital transformation, and investment screening.
2. Investment Facilitation, Promotion, and Institutional Delivery
Members exchanged views on investment promotion, facilitation and retention measures. Japan and the Policy Support Unit (PSU) also provided updates on implementation of the Updated APEC Investment Facilitation Action Plan (IFAP), drawing on inputs from member economies.
3. International Investment Policy, Reform, and ISDS
Members and international organisations discussed developments in international investment policy and reform, including investment treaty developments, investor–State dispute settlement (ISDS) reform and investment dispute prevention.
4. Contributions from International Organisations
International organisations including OECD, UNCITRAL, UNCTAD, WEF and WTO provided presentations and updates on FDI facilitation and business practices, ISDS reform, investment facilitation, investment policy, and investment treaty developments and reform.