The 27th World Investment Conference (WIC) Empowering Investors: IPAs Pioneering Future Growth took place December 11-14 at the India International Convention and Expo Center in New Delhi, India. It was hosted by Invest India, which holds the presidency of WAIPA and was re-elected to a new term during the General Assembly. The event was conducted under the auspices of India’s Ministry of Commerce. Shri Piyush Goyal, Honourable Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, addressed the congress.

This year’s conference was attended in person by over 1000 representatives from 107 countries, lasted for four days presenting 35 sessions by 60 speakers, sponsored by 19 sponsors and partners. 

World Investment Conference 2023 provided a platform to match investors with investible projects in countries worldwide. The Investor-IPA Connect session, which took place on December 13th, facilitated not only the presentation of investible projects but also exclusive one-on-one interactions.

High-level panels saw speakers from industry, government, finance and investment, and multilaterals examine such themes as Investment in Technology and the SDGs, and Connecting Investors with Promising Investible Projects. Among other sessions, the Global Leaders Forum: Investing for a Better World discussed how to address imbalances in global foreign direct investment flows, with divisional directors in multilateral institutions and heads of international associations calling for careful, considered and investment-friendly policymaking and a reduction in trade and investment barriers in order to reduce inequities. 

On day four of the conference, a closed-door meeting of IPAs of G20 nations reasserted the commitment of WAIPA, its partners, the holder of the current G20 presidency India and incoming G20 president Brazil, to the pursuit of sustainable development and stressed the importance of G20 IPAs in a changing world order.

The 26th chapter of World Investment Conference (WIC) took place during 13th to 14th September 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland. This year’s event was held under India’s presidency on the overarching theme of “Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) Shaping the Future of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI)”. Organised under the presidency of Invest India, this year conference was attended in person by over 350 representatives from 104 countries representing 7.25 billion population. The event was live streamed in over 100 member countries.

World Investment Conference 2022 witnessed the launch of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)Portal for African, Caribbean and Pacific Regions, International Solar Alliance (ISA) Startup Challenge, WAIPA Community Platform, WAIPA–United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Sustainability Initiative & WAIPA Business Advisory Board. Panel discussions were held on issues disrupting world economy today, such as, Digital FDI, Sustainability & Impact FDI, Evolution of Global Value Chains and Creation of Investable Projects. Masterclasses were organized on attracting sustainable investments and transforming communities through innovation. Read more about this exceptional WIC here. 

View video recordings of the inaugural, the panels discussions, wic talks & more here.

WAIPA organized its jubilee 25th WAIPA World Investment Conference as a hybrid event. After a long break, many of the FDI leaders and experts travelled and met familiar faces in person for the first time after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The WIC21 which was held under the theme “Regeneration of IPAs in a new decade” took place in person in Dubai, alongside the Dubai Expo 2020 on 20 October 2021 and virtually on 21 October, alongside the UNCTAD World Investment Forum and brought together IPAs from all over the world, government officials, development sector leaders, decision-makers from the private sector and academia relevant to FDI policy and strategy in two days of discussions on the crucial importance of investment promotion agencies (IPAs) during and after the pandemic that impacted lives and economies globally.

The conference featured a notable line-up of panelists who in several panels reviewed the past two and a half decades of investment promotion, debated the rise of digitalization and the importance of data-driven investment promotion, and examined how investors and locations alike benefit from IPAs and how IPAs are able to highlight their role further as a critical element in the promotion and facilitation of investments.