   
  
WT/L/1072/Rev.1  
 
22 November 2019  
(19-7992) Page: 1/2 
  Original: English  
 
JOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON INVESTM ENT FACILITATION FOR  DEVELOPMENT  
Revision1 
The following communication, dated 22 November 2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegations of Afghanistan; Argentina; Australia; Barbados; Benin; Brazil; Burundi; Cabo Verde; 
Cambodia; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Congo; Costa Rica; 
Djibouti;  Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; European Union; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; 
Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea;  Guinea -Bissau; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Japan; 
Kazakhstan; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait, the State of; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People’s Dem ocratic 
Republic; Liberia; Macao, China; Mauritania; Mexico; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; New 
Zealand; Nicaragua; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Norway; Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Qatar; 
Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Seychelles;  Sierra Leone;  Singapore; Suriname; 
Switzerland; Tajikistan; Togo; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; Uruguay; Vanuatu; Yemen; Zambia; 
and Zimbabwe .  
 
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1.  We, the Ministers representing the following Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO):  
Afghanistan; A rgentina; Australia; Barbados; Benin; Brazil; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; 
Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Congo; Costa Rica; Djibouti; 
Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; European Union; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Grena da; 
Guatemala; Guinea;  Guinea -Bissau; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Japan; Kazakhstan; 
Korea, Republic of; Kuwait, the State of; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Liberia; 
Macao, China; Mauritania; Mexico; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; New Zealand; Nicaragua; 
Nigeria; North Macedonia; Norway; Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Qatar; Russian Federation; Saudi 
Arabia, Kingdom of; Seychelles;  Sierra Leone; Singapore; Suriname; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Togo; 
Turkey; United Arab Emirates; Uruguay; Vanuatu; Yemen; Za mbia; and Zimbabwe , welcome the 
significant progress made by the WTO Structured Discussions on Investment Facilitation for 
Development since the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires.  
2.  We recognize the reinforcing relationship between trade an d investment and their key role to 
leverage development in today's global economy, as well as the need for closer international 
cooperation at the global level to create a more transparent, efficient, and predictable environment 
for facilitating cross -border investment.  
3.  We fully support the 2017 Joint Ministerial Statement2 adopted in Buenos Aires aiming at 
developing a multilateral framework on Investment Facilitation for Development. We also agree that 
facilitating greater developing and least -developed M embers' participation in global investment flows 
should constitute a core objective of the framework. The discussions shall not address market 
access, investment protection, and Investor -State Dispute Settlement.  
4.  We welcome the high -level engagement among  WTO Members in the ongoing Structured 
Discussions on Investment Facilitation for Development. These discussions will continue to be 
Member -driven, transparent, inclusive and open to all WTO Members. We consider that the Working 
                                                
1 The Revision concerns the addition of Benin, Nicaragua, Panama, Qatar, Togo, and  United Arab 
Emirates as co -sponsors  to the Joint Ministerial Statement initially issued on 5 November 2019 .  
2 Joint Ministerial Statement on Investment Facilitation for Development contained in WTO document  
WT/MIN(17)/59 dated 13 December 2017.  
 WT/L/1072/Rev.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Document (prepared by the C oordinator under his responsibility and circulated to all WTO Members)3 
constitutes a sound basis for continued progress in the current discussions.  
5.  We are committed to intensify work to further develop the framework for facilitating foreign direct 
invest ments, and work towards a concrete outcome on Investment Facilitation for Development at 
the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12). We agree to continue our outreach efforts to WTO 
Members, especially developing and least -developed Members, to ensure t hat the framework helps 
to address their investment facilitation priorities and needs.  
6.  We encourage all WTO Members to actively participate in this process . 
 
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3 Contain ed in document INF/IFD/RD/39 dated 24 July 2019.  