Multilateral disciplines for investment-related policies

The authors evaluate the potential benefits of international disciplines on policies toward foreign direct investment for developing countries. They conclude that the case for initiating negotiations on investment policies is weak at present. Negotiating efforts that center on further liberalizing market access on a non-discriminatory basis - especially for services - are likely to be more fruitful in terms of economic welfare and growth. Existing multilateral instruments, although imperfect, are far from fully exploited and provide significant opportunities for governments opening further access to markets. The authors conclude that priority should be given to expanding coverage of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) before seeking to negotiate general disciplines on investment policies.