Publications - WAIPA | The Global Reference Point for FDI

The WAIPA research analysis team frequently publishes papers and research results on our website, via Twitter and LinkedIn, newsflash and other venues.

Investment Promotion and Facilitation in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Region

This report presents the results of a survey jointly undertaken by UNIDO and WAIPA to contribute to a better understanding of investment promotion in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

This report presents a framework to better understand the factors that adversely affect FDI flows to ACP countries. The framework has three key takeaways: broadly speaking, ACP IPAs have a longer road to the market than their peer IPAs from other regions, have a harder task than their peers and find that attracting FDI to their countries is more challenging than for other regions. Therefore, the expectation of ACP IPAs that they can accumulate FDI in a similar manner to how it is performed elsewhere in the world is neither realistic nor feasible.

Capacity Building for Francophone LDCs on Investment Promotion

In 2022/2023, a successful collaboration between the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) resulted in the “Capacity Building For Francophone LDCs on investment Promotion” project. This initiative has extended its impact to 17 Least Developed Countries (LDCs). This report provides an overview of the project’s outcomes and gives selected case studies of the impact it had on organizations.

OCO Global-WAIPA Report: The new laws of FDI attraction

The world is going through many challenges and difficulties which are impacting Foreign Direct Investment and how economies and locations are attracting new projects and investors. This joint report, OCO Global and WAIPA, has surveyed 74 IPAs from around the world ( November 2022 and March 2023) to learn how they are responding to these changes.

ILO-WAIPA Report: The contribution of IPAs to achieving SDG 8

Foreign direct investment can play a critical role in helping countries to achieve SDG 8 on decent work and inclusive economic growth. The ILO and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) surveyed IPAs to find out how they integrate SDG 8 in their promotional activities and services; and what types of support IPAs need to accelerate progress in attaining this goal.

UNWTO Investment Guidelines – Strategies to Safeguard Tourism Investments during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic heavily disrupted the tourism industry leaving a deep imprint on its structure. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) hence joined forces to develop this report outlining the key trends in the tourism industry and strategies to safeguard tourism investments during these unprecedented times that can contribute to the industry resilience and future recovery.

State of Investment Promotion Agencies: Evidence from WAIPA-WBG’s Joint Global Survey

This report provides details of the current characteristics of national Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) around the world, based on a joint global survey conducted by the World Bank Group (WBG) and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA). Following the novel WBG framework for investment promotion, the report delivers empirical insights about IPAs’ strategies, institutional set-up and investor service offerings, as well as the challenges they face and the reforms they would like their governments implement. Its addendum focuses on IPAs’ perception and their responses to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. View the dashboard from here.

The impact of COVID-19 from the perspective of IPAs

This paper was prepared by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) from survey data collected in the first week of April and benefited from peer review. As such it gives a glimpse of the initial action taken by investment promotion agencies (IPAs) towards the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this survey was to understand the impact and initial challenges IPAs face due to this crisis and to examine actions by IPAs to mitigate and alleviate these shocks. By highlighting some of these measures, this paper aims to help IPAs to compare their own actions to those of their peers but also to serve as food for thought for IPAs to expand or align their services accordingly, and to provide recommendations based on the experience of WAIPA and its partners.

WAIPA & WEF joint paper: What can governments do to facilitate investment?

This paper was prepared as a technical input to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Structured Discussions on Investment Facilitation for Development and presented during an expert workshop at the WTO on 11 December 2019. It was jointly written by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) and the World Economic Forum (Forum) and benefited from peer review. The aim of the paper is to present what investment practitioners identify as the most important measures to facilitate investment flows.

Overview of Investment Promotion: Report of the findings from the WAIPA Annual Survey of 2018

This report is using information obtained from the WAIPA’s Annual Survey of 2018. The survey’s questions encompass topics regarding IPAs institutional characteristic, resources, strategies, performance evaluation, and future of investment promotion.

The state of investment in OIC member countries and the role of Export Credit Agencies and IPAs

“The state of investment in OIC member countries and the role of Export Credit Agencies and IPAs” is the joint publication by ICIEC, SESRIC and WAIPA. Publication provides comprehensive overview on the state of investment in OIC countries, their FDI potential, and importance of ECAs (Export Credit Agencies) and IPAs (Investment Promotion Agencies) for reaching their development agendas.

WAIPA Consultative Committee Resources

UNCTAD

World Investment Reports

WIR 2021: Investing in Sustainable Recovery
WIR 2020: International Production Beyond Pandemic
WIR 2019: Special Economic Zones
WIR 2018: Investment and New Industrial Policy
WIR 2017: Investment and the Digital Economy
WIR 2016: Investor Nationality: Policy Challenges

See all World Investment Reports HERE.

Global Investment Trends Monitors

GITM 39: Global FDI rebounds in the first half of 2021
GITM 38: Global FDI flows down 42% in 2020
GITM 37: RCEP agreement a potential boost for investment in sustainable post-COVID recovery
GITM 36: Global FDI flows down 49% in 2020
GITM 35: Special Issue: Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global FDI and GVCs
GITM 34: Special Issue: Impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on global FDI

The IPA Observer

The IPA Observer No.11: Promoting Investment in Health Post-Pandemic: A Global Trend?
The IPA Observer No.10: Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Investment Promotion
The IPA Observer No.9 Special Issue: Post-COVID-19: Investment Promotion Agencies and the “New Normal”
The IPA Observer No.8 Special Issue: Investment promotion agencies: striving to overcome the covid-19 challenge
The IPA Observer No. 7: Promoting Investment for Sustainable Development in Cities
The IPA Observer No. 6: Investment Facilitation: The perfect match for investment promotion
The IPA Observer No. 5: Promoting Green FDI: Practices and Lessons from the Field

Other Resources and Publications

Investment Policy Monitor
Sustainable FDI
Investment Country Profiles
FDI in LDCs
Investment statistics
UNCTAD Manual on FDI statistics
Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development
Investment Guides
World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP)
Sustainable Stock Exchanges
Responsible Agricultural Investment

World Bank

Global Investment Competitiveness Reports

Global Investment Competitiveness Report 2019/2020 : Rebuilding Investor Confidence in Times of Uncertainty
Global Investment Competitiveness Report 2017/2018 : Foreign Investor Perspectives and Policy Implications

Doing Business Reports

Doing Business 2020
Doing Business 2019
Doing Business 2018
Doing Business 2017
Doing Business 2016

See all Doing Business reports HERE.

World Development Reports

World Development Report 2021 : Data for better lives
World Development Report 2020 : Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains
World Development Report 2019 : The Changing Nature of Work
World Development Report 2018 : Learning to Realize Education’s Promise
World Development Report 2017 : Governance and the Law

See all World Development Reports HERE.

FDI and IPAs related publications

Planning for Success : Strategies of Investment Promotion Agencies Technical Note
Investment Policy and Regulatory Reviews by Countries
Strengthening Service Delivery of Investment Promotion Agencies : The Comprehensive Investor Services Framework, 2020
Institutions for Investment : Establishing a High-Performing Institutional Framework for Foreign Direct Investment, 2019
Maximizing the Potential Benefits of Foreign Direct Investment for Competitiveness and Development, 2017
Promoting Foreign Investment in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations, 2014
Global Investment Promotion Best Practices, 2012
The Effectiveness of Promotion Agencies at Attracting Foreign Direct Investment, 2004

See all publications by World Bank HERE.

Other Resources

Research and Publications
World Bank Open Data
World Development Indicators
Open Learning Campus
Open Knowledge Repository

OECD

OECD Economic Outlook

OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report, March 2021
OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2020 Issue 2
OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2020 Issue 1
OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2019 Issue 2
OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2019 Issue 1

See all OECD Economic Outlooks HERE.

OECD Business and Finance Outlook

OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2020
OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2019
OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2018
OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2017
OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2016

See all OECD Business and Finance Outlooks HERE.

Economic Policy Reforms

Economic Policy Reforms 2021
Economic Policy Reforms 2019
Economic Policy Reforms 2018
Economic Policy Reforms 2017
Economic Policy Reforms 2016

See all Economic Policy Reforms HERE.

Other Resources and Publications

OECD Work on Investment Promotion and Facilitation
OECD Investment Policy Reviews
OECD Reviews of Foreign Direct Investment
OECD FDI Statistics
OECD Environmental Outlook
OECD Employment Outlook
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies
OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook
Tax Policy Reforms
Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs

See all OECD Publications HERE.

ILO

The World Employment and Social Outlook Trends

World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2020
World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2019
World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2018
World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2017
World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2016

Global Wage Reports

Global Wage Report 2020/2021
Global Wage Report 2018/2019
Global Wage Report 2016/2017
Global Wage Report 2014/2015

See all ILO flagship reports HERE.

Other Publications and Resources