Notes de politique

Investment treaties and sustainable development: investment liberalisation

Lorenzo Cotula (IIED) | IIED | 2014 |
Investment treaties and sustainable development: investment liberalisation

States wishing to regulate the conditions under which they admit foreign investment generally use national law. But many international investment treaties (IITs) include provisions to liberalise investment flows. Investors may value these ‘pre-establishment’ provisions. But pre-establishment treaties can also significantly affect the ability of states to regulate admission conditions for foreign investors wanting to operate in their jurisdiction. This briefing is the second of four promoting debate on IITs and sustainable development.