UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT LAUNCHES WORLD INVESTMENT DIRECTORY ONLINE

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT LAUNCHES

WORLD INVESTMENT DIRECTORY ONLINE

GENEVA, 27 February (UNCTAD) -- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) today launches the online version of its World Investment Directory, which will provide quick electronic access to comprehensive statistics on foreign direct investment (FDI) and the operations of transnational corporations (TNCs).  Online as of today are the latest available statistics on 11 countries:  Albania, Australia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Slovakia and Spain.

There are also statistical definitions and sources, a brief discussion and listing of relevant national laws and regulations, information on bilateral and multilateral agreements and a bibliography.  Information on each country is available in two formats:  a detailed profile, and an “FDI in Brief”, highlighting the most interesting aspects of the profile.

Data on nearly all countries in the developed world, as well as Central and Eastern Europe, will be online within the next month, to be followed eventually by other regions.

For more information, please contact:  Masataka Fujita, Officer-in-Charge, Investment Trends Section, Tel:  +41 22 907 6217, Fax:  +41 22 907 0194, E-mail:  masataka.fujita@unctad.org or UNCTAD Press Office, Tel:  +41 22 907 5828,

E-mail:  press@unctad.org.

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