1st ASEAN-OECD Investment Policy Conference

Co-organised by ASEAN and OECD, this conference brought together participants from OECD member countries and ASEAN member states, representatives from international and regional organisations, academia and civil society groups, to discuss:
- experiences with investment policy reforms
- ways to achieve a better investment environment
- the role of international investment agreements in Southeast Asia

ASEAN economies have greatly benefited from both domestic and foreign direct investment. Open outward-oriented policies have enabled ASEAN economies to join international production networks by exploiting comparative advantage. In addition to individual countries’ unilateral efforts to improve the investment climate, ASEAN has been moving forward on its regional integration agenda to create a free and open investment regime in ASEAN.

Many OECD economies have close economic relationships with ASEAN economies including in the area of investment. These relationships have been also strengthened through ASEAN plus arrangements as well as free trade agreements between ASEAN and several economies. In supporting ASEAN’s objective to enhance its competitiveness in attracting foreign direct investment, the OECD is engaged in co-operation programmes with ASEAN member governments. This conference is part of the continuing and deepening dialogue between ASEAN and OECD to share experience and good practice in investment policies.

Conference documents
• Agenda
• ASEAN-OECD joint press release, 18 November 2010
• Welcome remarks by H.E. Sundram Pushpanathan, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General
• Opening remarks by H.E. Mario Amano, OECD Deputy Secretary-General
• Conference Summary Record
• List of Participants

Presentations

Session I - Policy reforms and investment attractiveness in ASEAN and OECD
• ASEAN in the global investment landscape: A perspective from OECD countries, Andrea Goldstein, OECD
• Post-crisis FDI inflows to ASEAN, Melanie S. Milo, ASEAN
• FDI liberalisation in OECD and selected non-OECD countries: Trends and recent developments, Stephen Thomsen, OECD
• Investment policy co-operation leading up to ACIA, Nor Ashikin Johari, Government of Brunei Darussalam
• Investment policy liberalisation and co-operation in ASEAN, Jaratrus Chamratritirong, Government of Thailand

Session II - Achieving a better investment environment in ASEAN
• Policy Framework for Investment, Misuzu Otsuka, OECD
• Indonesian experience in conducting investment policy reviews based on the PFI, Huda Bahweres, Government of Indonesia
• JICA's experience in utilising the PFI in its assistance on investment climate reforms, Toru Homma, JICA
• Best practice in investment promotion and facilitation of investment, Andrew Proctor, Consultant
• Cluster initiatives in investment promotion, Lenka Hrebickova, CzechInvest
• ERIA study to further improve the AEC scorecard: Investment liberalisation and facilitation, Ponciano S. Intal, ERIA
• The economic governance index and investment promotion in Asia, Bruce Tolentino, Asia Foundation

Session III - International investment agreements (IIAs) in ASEAN
• EU trade and investment policy and the role of FTAs, Walter van Hattum, EU Delegation to Indonesia
• ASEAN Korea free trade agreements, Yang Sooyong, Government of Korea
• AANZFTA: The benefits for investment, Elly Lawson, Australian Embassy in Indonesia
• IIAs: issues and considerations for ASEAN, Marcel Proksch, UNESCAP
• Approaches to IIAs in ASEAN: a perspective from private practice, Antony Crockett, Clifford Chance LLP
• Does ACIA bring a new dimension to international investment agreements?, Vilawan Mangklatanakul, Government of Thailand

Concluding Remarks and Next Steps
• Closing remarks, Mario Amano, OECD Deputy Secretary-General
• Closing remarks, Sundram Pushpanathan, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General