Although most policy interventions for attracting investment to date have focused on investment promotion, robust investment facilitation is essential for investment attraction strategies to succeed. In many Caribbean, EAC, and SADC countries, investment facilitation services are inadequate, hampering investment promotion efforts.

This project aims to strengthen the capacity of developing countries in these sub-regions to attract and benefit from investment in SDG-related sectors through enhanced investment facilitation.

Building on UNCTAD Investment Policy Reviews and other technical assistance activities that have been carried out in the selected sub-regions, UNCTAD will provide tailored support in investment facilitation and inform policymakers, investment promotion officials, and other stakeholders on policy measures, practices, and tools that can address obstacles to investment for sustainable development.

Through the organization of capacity-building workshops at the sub-regional level, advisory services for selected countries within these sub-regions, an inter-regional seminar and workshop, the preparation of a consulting manual on investment facilitation, and the development of a related online repository and sub-regional investment facilitation guide, this project will not only reach out to countries in the selected sub-regions, but also to other developing countries and foster the regional and international exchange of experiences, best practices, and tools.

UNCTAD will collaborate closely with EAC, SADC, ECA, ECLAC, and investment promotion associations such as the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) to deliver project activities.

Objective:

This project aims to harness investment facilitation to develop the capacity of developing countries to attract and benefit from investment in SDG-related sectors.

The objective will be achieved through two specific expected accomplishments:

• The first is improved institutional capacity of developing countries in the three selected sub-regions to facilitate international investment into sustainable development sectors.

• The second will contribute to greater international awareness of best practices in facilitating investment in SDG priority sectors.

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