On the occasion of the High-Level International Investment Agreements Conference during the United Nations Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha, the South Centre reaffirmed its commitment to building a fairer, more inclusive international economic architecture.

For over 30 years, our work has emphasized that success in investment policy is not measured by capital volumes alone, but by better investment—investment that builds domestic productive capacity, creates decent jobs, and drives a just green transition.

Key takeaways from our statement:

🔹 Holistic Reform over Procedural Tweaks: Investment governance must not operate as an isolated system designed solely for investor protection. Procedural improvements in dispute settlement are not enough; legitimate climate, health, and social measures require robust legal safeguards alongside enforceable investor responsibilities.

🔹 Modernizing the Existing Treaty Network: Better drafting in new agreements is insufficient while outdated treaties with broad survival clauses remain in force. States must coordinate on joint interpretations, amendments, consolidation, and terminations.

🔹 UNCTAD’s Leadership & Reform Principles: We commend UNCTAD’s sustained leadership, particularly through frameworks like the Guiding Principles for IIA Reform, which bridge the gap between national development ambitions and actionable treaty reform while safeguarding States’ duty to regulate.

🔹 Strengthening South–South Cooperation: The South Centre continues to partner closely with UNCTAD through policy research, technical assistance, and capacity-building to support developing countries in reforming their investment regimes according to domestic development priorities.