Event
Columbia University / September 2018

13th Annual Columbia International Investment Conference: “Rethinking International Investment Governance: Principles for the 21st Century”

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

EVENT RSVP: CIIC18 Please RSVP by completing the form below.

Date: September 27-28, 2018, 9:00am-5:30pm (27th)/8:30am-4:45pm (28th), Reception to follow, 4:45-6:45pm, September 28 Location: Faculty House, Columbia University, New York

Registration is free, but required.

13th Annual Columbia International Investment Conference: “Rethinking International Investment Governance: Principles for the 21st Century”

The world has entered a critical moment for international economic policy. International investment is widely recognized as essential to global sustainable development, facilitating the transfer of technology, skills, capital, and jobs across borders, providing access to environmentally sound practices and offering livelihoods supported by the global economy. But mobility of capital can lead, among other things, to economic volatility, job insecurity, races to the bottom in terms of environmental, social, and fiscal policies, and governance gaps making it difficult for individuals or entities harmed by multinational enterprises to effectively secure remedies. The stakes are high, and the outcomes uncertain.

Public discontent with international investment treaties has produced a fundamental shift in policy in some contexts, and various discussions of reform in international and regional fora. This presents a crucial, and potentially fleeting, opportunity to advance a progressive vision of international investment that will govern this complex and nuanced field going forward.

This conference seeks to elaborate principles of a progressive investment agenda. It will reflect on the current investment regime – of the network of over 3,000 investment agreements – and the extent to which the regime aligns with or undermines the principles. We will then re-imagine investment governance, and consider the role that international cooperation could play to advance sustainable, development-oriented investment.

At the Conference, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce will honor the winner of its Treaty Lab contest to redesign international investment agreements to encourage foreign investment in climate mitigation and adaptation. There will be a reception, hosted by Mannheimer Swartling, following the end of the Conference on September 28, from 4:45-6:45pm.

13th Annual Columbia International Investment Conference: “Rethinking International Investment Governance: Principles for the 21st Century”

Categories: Events, Upcoming Events Tags: Coordinating Multi-Stakeholder and Expert Dialogue, Investment Law and Policy

Date: September 27-28, 2018, 9:00am–5:30pm (27th), 8:30am–4:45pm (28th);
Reception to follow, 4:45-6:45pm, September 28 (Stockholm Treaty Lab Reception, hosted by Mannheimer Swartling)
Location: Faculty House, Columbia University, New York