UNCTAD RELEASES HANDBOOK ON OUTWARD INVESTMENT AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS

Press Release
TAD/1899

UNCTAD RELEASES HANDBOOK ON OUTWARD INVESTMENT AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS

GENEVA, 5 November (UNCTAD) -- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released, today, a Handbook on Outward Investment Agencies and Institutions. The Handbook provides hands-on information on home country programmes that facilitate and promote foreign direct investments (FDI) to developing countries and economies in transitions. It, thus, represents a ready-made tool for investment promotion practitioners in countries seeking to attract foreign investment.

[The Handbook on Outward Investment Agencies and Institutions (Sales No. E.99.ID.22) may be obtained for $15 from United Nations Publications/Sales Section, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, fax: 41 22 917 0027, e-mail: , Internet: http://www.un.org/publications; or from United Nations Publications, 2 UN Plaza, Room DC2-853, Dept. PRES, New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A., telephone: +1 212 963 8302 or +18002539646, fax: +1 212 963 34 89, e-mail: ]

The Handbook provides an overview of institutions that support enterprises interested in investing abroad. This assistance varies from information services on investment conditions and opportunities to facilities that provide investment financing and insurance.

The Handbook is based on a survey undertaken earlier this year by UNCTAD of 74 institutions that promote and facilitate foreign investment, or else play a role in assisting developing countries and transitional economies in attracting FDI.

The study distinguishes between outward investment promotion agencies, development finance institutions and investment guarantee schemes, as each responds to a different need of enterprises seeking to identify and realize overseas investment projects. One general conclusion was that across the board, many institutions offer special programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises that wish to invest abroad, and that services are often geared to developing countries and transitional economies.

The survey also dealt with cooperation arrangements between Outward Investment Agencies and Institutions (OIAs) and Inward

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Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs). Results show that a considerable number of the former already cooperate with IPAs, although finance and guarantee institutions do so to a lesser extent.

The Handbook was prepared by UNCTAD at the request of Member States, following the expressed interest of IPAs in emerging economies to establish working relationships with their counterparts in Outward Investment Agencies and Institutions. Other planned activities include the development of a training package on outward investment programmes for IPA officials from developing countries, in cooperation with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA).

The text of this press release can also be found on the Internet at the following address: in the press and reference section.

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