UNCTAD-ICC Investment Advisory Council
The Investment Advisory Council (IAC) is a practical platform for exchange and strategy formulation for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to least developed countries (LDCs). The IAC was established at the Third United Nations Conference on LDCs in May 2001 on the joint initiative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and ICC. IAC provides an informal and flexible framework within which senior business executives and private sector organizations can interact with senior government officials responsible for investment matters on questions related to attracting foreign direct investment and benefiting from it.
The latest meeting of the IAC took place on 9-13 May 2011 in Istanbul. The conference focuses on actions and opportunities to help the 48 nations at the base of the global pyramid achieve more stable, prosperous and sustainable economies and communities.
ICC and UN Conference on LDCS 2011 (pdf-file)
History of IAC Events (pdf-file)
IAC joint communiqué 18 September 2006 (pdf file)UNCTAD-ICC investment guides
ICC-UNCTAD investment guides are directed at potential investors in Least Developed Countries.They pull no punches, providing advice on such topics as tax regimes, repatriation of profits, property laws, labour legislation, educational standards and infrastructure. They also include systematic comparisons with the investment-friendliness of countries in similar circumstances.
Although FDI flows have increased enormously in recent years, reaching $1,000 billion in 2000, distribution has been uneven, and LDCs as a group received very little. ICC and UNCTAD both regard FDI as a major contributor to economic growth and development.
FDI can bring capital, technology, management knowhow, jobs and access to new markets. It tends to be more stable than other forms of capital flows because it involves a longer-term commitment to the host economy.All the guides have been compiled with the help of experts from leading multinational companies, ICC and UNCTAD.
An independent evaluation panel this month described the pilot phase of the ICC-UNCTAD project on investment guides and capacity building as "a well-conceived project, effectively implemented." The panel was headed by Professor Jean-Pierre Lehmann, of the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Investment guide to Bangladesh
Investment guide to Cambodia
Guide to the East African Community
Investment guide to Ethiopia
Investment guide to Kenya
Investment guide to Mali
Investment guide to Mali (French version)
Investment guide to Mozambique
Investment guide to Mauritania
Investment guide to Nepal
Investment guide to Rwanda
Investment guide to Tanzania
Investment guide to Uganda
Investment guide to Zambia
Other links
ICC relations and projects with Inter-Governmental Organizations
UNCTAD website
The UN Global Compact site