Participants in IFD Agreement step up outreach and needs assessments for developing members

Parties to the IFD Agreement highlighted progress in assisting developing and least-developed country members with needs assessments aimed at helping them prepare for implementation of the Agreement. Participants also reaffirmed their commitment to incorporating the IFD Agreement into the WTO framework as a most-favoured-nation-based plurilateral agreement open to all WTO members.

Co-Coordinators Ambassador Sofía Boza of Chile and Ambassador Sung-yo Choi of the Republic of Korea opened the session by reporting on IFD parties’ efforts at the May General Council meeting to incorporate the IFD Agreement into the WTO’s legal framework. They emphasized that the meeting reaffirmed IFD parties' shared goals and encouraged members to build on this momentum as they prepare for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé (Cameroon) in March 2026.

Although no consensus could be reached at the General Council meeting due to the reservations of three members, many members expressed strong support for the incorporation of the Agreement, they noted. IFD participants also reiterated the Agreement’s developmental value and its contribution to enhancing transparency, procedural efficiency, and predictability for investors.

Participants in the 10 June IFD meeting reiterated their strong commitment to incorporating the IFD Agreement into the WTO legal framework and pledged to step up efforts to further broaden the support among non-participating members, while continuing to promote the Agreement’s benefits for developing economies. They also exchanged ideas on plans for several key upcoming events aimed at advancing this objective.

In parallel with the work on incorporating the Agreement into the WTO legal framework, participating members will continue advancing the IFD needs assessment process, the Co-Coordinators said. This process is designed to help developing and least-developed country (LDC) members identify their individual implementation gaps and technical-assistance and capacity-building needs, ensuring they are better equipped to fully implement and benefit from the Agreement. The needs assessments are a key element of the special and differential treatment (SDT) provisions under the IFD Agreement.

Members noted significant progress in the needs assessment process. Currently, over 20 assessments are underway with the assistance of partner international organizations, such as the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, and UN Trade and Development. In addition to Ecuador, which completed its assessment last year, six members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are nearing completion of their assessments. Guatemala announced that it has finalized its assessment and will share its preliminary  findings with other members, while Moldova indicated that it is currently evaluating the feasibility of conducting a needs assessment.

Since the February General Council meeting, the three IFD co-facilitators — Cambodia, Cameroon and the European Union — have been leading the IFD Agreement’s outreach efforts. At the meeting, they provided updates on their recent engagement with non-participating members. Meetings held in Geneva and in various capitals have raised awareness and generated growing interest in the IFD Agreement. Some governments have expressed a clear interest in joining, while others are currently assessing the potential benefits and preparing to undertake needs assessments.

The Co-Coordinators also highlighted several high-profile international events where the IFD Agreement received recognition. They pointed to the positive momentum generated by the Jeju APEC Ministers’ Declaration in May, which recognizes efforts towards the integration of the IFD Agreement into the WTO framework. The Co-Coordinators also referenced the Miami Investment Facilitation meetings, held in May, where the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS),the International Trade Centre (ITC)  and the IDB co-hosted two key events focused on investment facilitation and sustainable FDI.

A high-level event titled "Strengthening Investment Facilitation in the Caribbean Region" featured experts from governments and the private sector, who emphasized the IFD Agreement’s potential to transform the Caribbean region’s investment landscape, the Co-Coordinators said. In addition, they noted the strong ministerial support for the IFD Agreement expressed at last week’s OECD mini-ministerial meeting in Paris.

In addition, members welcomed the updated version of the IFD toolkit prepared by a small group led by the United Kingdom, which now features revised background information and updated content on the IFD Agreement. The updated toolkit will be published on the dedicated IFD portal of the WTO website following members’ review.

Background

Article X.9 of the WTO Agreement provides that, upon the request of the members who are parties to a plurilateral agreement, the Ministerial Conference may decide exclusively by consensus to add the Agreement to Annex 4. Article IV.2 says that in the intervals between meetings of the Ministerial Conference, its functions shall be conducted by the General Council.

While the IFD Agreement would be a plurilateral agreement (binding only on those members that accept it), it is open for all WTO members to join. Participant members have stressed that incorporation of the IFD Agreement into the WTO is critical for the Agreement to deliver its benefits, notably for developing and least-developed members, who are in the greatest need of more sustainable and impactful investment flows.

An IFD Agreement in the WTO will also serve as a key catalyst for international support for national and regional investment facilitation efforts.

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