Skip to main content

Foreign Direct Investment and Sustainable Development

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Reduced Inequalities

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

  • 43 Accesses

Synonyms

Direct investment; Foreign investment; International investment; Investment; Transnational investment

Definitions

In a broad sense, foreign direct investment (FDI) is a contribution of a certain duration that involves risks, made by a foreign investor in a host State, which promotes the development of this host State. In a strict sense, FDI is an investment made by a foreign investor in an enterprise located in a different economy, with the objective of establishing a lasting interest in this enterprise (OECD 2008, p. 17; IMF 2009, p. 100).

The Concept of FDI

The broad definition of FDI derives from the practical outcome of investment disputes in which arbitral tribunals have the task of deciding whether particular contributions consist in investments or not. The so-called Salini test to verify the existence of an investment was established in the leading case Salini v. Morocco. In this case, an Italian investor sought to receive payment for the construction of a highway in...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bevan A, Estrin S (2004) The determinants of foreign direct investment into European transition economies. J Comp Econ 32(4):775–787

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borensztein E, De Gregorio J, Lee JW (1995) How does foreign direct investment affect economic growth? National Bureau of Economic Research working paper series. Working paper no. 5057. Mar 1995

    Google Scholar 

  • Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2016) The cooperation and facilitation investment agreement. http://www.mdic.gov.br/arquivos/CFIA-Presentation-EN.pdf. Accessed 23 Apr 2018

  • Clark H (2017) What will it take to achieve the sustainable development goals? J Int Aff. The next world order: special 70th anniversary issue:53–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotula L (2014) Foreign investment, law and sustainable development: a handbook on agriculture and extractive industries. London, International Institute for Environment and Development

    Google Scholar 

  • Dattu R (2000–2001) A journey from Havana to Paris: the fifty-year quest for the elusive multilateral agreement on investment. Fordham Int Law J New York 24:275–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Delaume GR (1966) Convention on the settlement of investment disputes between states and nationals of other states. Int Lawyer 1(1):64–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Drexhage J, Murphy D (2010) Sustainable Development: from Brundtland to Rio 2012. http://www.surdurulebilirkalkinma.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Background_on_Sustainable_Development.pdf. Accessed 26 Aug 2018. New York

  • European Federation for Investment Law and Arbitration (EFILA) (2015) A response to criticism against ISDS. http://efila.org.domainpreview.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EFILA_in_response_to_the-criticism_of_ISDS_final_draft.pdf. Accessed 13 May 2018

  • Fouchard P, Gaillard E, Goldman B (1999) Fouchard, gaillard, goldman on international commercial arbitration. Kluwer Law International, The Hague

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon K, Pohl J (2011) Environmental concerns in international investment agreements: a survey. In: OECD Working Papers on International Investment, 2011/01. OECD Publishing

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn N (2004) Arbitration and the protection of foreign investment: concepts and means. In: Horn N, Kröll S (eds) Foreign Investment Disputes: cases, Materials and Commentary, Netherlands, Kluwer Law International, pp 3–31

    Google Scholar 

  • International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) (2018) Database of ICSID member states. https://icsid.worldbank.org/en/Pages/about/Database-of-Member-States.aspx. Accessed 10 Apr 2018

  • International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) (2016) ICC guidelines for international investment. https://cdn.iccwbo.org/content/uploads/sites/3/2017/01/ICC-Guidelines-For-International-Investment-2016.pdf. Accessed 8 Apr 2018

  • International Monetary Fund (IMF) (2009) Balance of payments and international investment position manual, 6th edn. Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Jugurnath B, Emrith A (2018) Impact of foreign direct investment on environment degradation: evidence from SIDS countries. J Dev Areas 52((2), Spring): 13–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kechagia P, Metaxas T (2018) Sixty years of FDI empirical research: review, comparison and critique. J Dev Areas 52((1), Winter):169–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laird IA (2016) TPP and ISDS: the challenge from Europe and the proposed TTIP investment court. Canada-United States Law J 40:106–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Manciaux S (2008) The notion of investment: new controversies. J World Invest Trade 9(6):443–466

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles K (2010) International investment law: origins, imperialism and conceptualizing the environment. Colorado J Int Environ Law Policy 21(1):1–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) (2013) Policy on environmental and social sustainability. https://www.miga.org/documents/Policy_Environmental_Social_Sustainability.pdf. Access 5 Jun 2018

  • Newcombe A (2007) Sustainable development and investment treaty law. J World Invest Trade 8:357–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (1998) The Multilateral agreement on investment draft consolidated text. http://www1.oecd.org/daf/mai/pdf/ng/ng987r1e.pdf. Access 8 Apr 2018

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2008) OECD Benchmark definition of foreign direct investment. Fourth edition. https://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/investmentstatisticsandanalysis/40193734.pdf. Access 8 Apr 2018

  • Pohl J (2018) Societal benefits and costs of international investment agreements: a critical review of aspects and available empirical evidence. In: OECD working papers on international investment, 2018/01. OECD Publishing, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Republic of India (2016) Model text for the Indian bilateral investment treaty. https://www.mygov.in/sites/default/files/master_image/Model%20Text%20for%20the%20Indian%20Bilateral%20Investment%20Treaty.pdf. Accessed 8 Apr 2018

  • Romson Å (2011) International Investment Law and the Environment. In: Segger MCC, Gehring MW et al (eds) Sustainable development in world investment law. Global trade law series, 30. Kluwer Law International, pp 37–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothgeb J (1988) Direct foreign investment in mining and manufacturing in underdeveloped states. Soc Sci J 25(1):21–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubino-Sammartano M (2001) International Arbitration: law and practice. The Netherlands, Kluwer Law International

    Google Scholar 

  • Schill SW (2010) Private enforcement of international investment law: why we need investor standing in BIT dispute settlement. In: Waibel M et al (eds) The Backlash against investment arbitration: perceptions and reality. The Hague, Kluwer Law International, pp 29–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Schramade W (2017) Investing in the UN sustainable development goals. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2968791. Accessed 23 Dec 2018

  • Schreuer C (2005) Fair and equitable treatment in arbitral practice. J World Invest Trade 6:357–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreuer C (2010) Investment disputes. In: Max planck encyclopedia of public international law. Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law/Oxford University Press, Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Sornarajah M (2010) The international law on foreign investment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sornarajah M (2013) The case against a regime on international investment law. In: Trakman L, Ranieri N (eds) Regionalism in international investment law. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz J (2016) Beware of TPP’s investor-state dispute settlement provision. In: Roosevelt Institute. http://rooseveltinstitute.org/beware-tpps-investor-state-dispute-settlement-provision/. Accessed 23 Apr 2018

  • United Nations (1948) Havana charter for an international trade organization. In: United Nations conference on trade and employment final act and related documents. https://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/havana_e.pdf. Accessed 9 Apr 2018

  • United Nations (1992) Agenda 21. United Nations conference on environment & development. Rio de Janeiro. Jun 1992

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations (2002a). Monterrey Consensus. International conference on financing for development. Monterrey. http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/monterrey/MonterreyConsensus.pdf. Accessed 24 Jan 2018

  • United Nations (2002b) Plan of implementation of the world summit on sustainable development. Johannesburg

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations (2006) Principles for responsible investment (PRI). https://www.unpri.org/pri/about-the-pri. Accessed 26 Jun 2018

  • United Nations (2014) United Nations convention on transparency in treaty-based investor-state arbitration (“Mauritius convention on transparency”). http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/english/texts/arbitration/transparency-convention/Transparency-Convention-e.pdf. Accessed 8 Apr 2018

  • United Nations (2015) Transforming our World: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. A/RES/70/1. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf. Accessed 20 Jun 2018

  • United Nations (2018) The sustainable development goals report. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/files/report/2018/TheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsReport2018-EN.pdf. Accessed 23 Dec 2018

  • United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (2018) Investor-State dispute settlement reform: on-line resources. http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/publications/online_resources_ISDS.html. Accessed 13 May 2018

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank (2009) Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment (PRAI). http://unctad.org/en/Pages/DIAE/G-20/PRAI.aspx. Accessed 26 Jun 2018

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank (2014) World investment report 2014: investing in the SDGs: an action plan. New York\Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank (2017) UNCTAD handbook of statistics 2017: economic trends. http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/tdstat42_en.pdf. Accessed 19 Jun 2018

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank (2018) IIA Issues note: recent developments in the international investment regime. Issue 1. May 2018

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank (2019a) Investment policy hub. International investment agreements. http://investmentpolicyhub.unctad.org/IIA. Accessed 25 May 2019

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank (2019b) Investment policy hub. Investment Laws. http://investmentpolicyhub.unctad.org/InvestmentLaws. Accessed 25 May 2019

  • United Nations Economic and Social Council, African Union (2016) Economic Commission for Africa. Draft Pan-African Investment Code. ECA Committee of Experts, AU Committee of Experts Meeting, ECA Joint Annual Meetings of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration. 31 Mar.-2 Apr. 2016. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. https://repository.uneca.org/pdfpreview/bitstream/handle/10855/23009/b11560526.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed 8 Apr 2018

  • United States of America (2012) 2012 U.S. Model bilateral investment treaty. https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/BIT%20text%20for%20ACIEP%20Meeting.pdf. Accessed 8 Apr 2018

  • Viñuales JE (2010) Foreign investment and the environment in international law: an ambiguous relationship. Br Yearb Int Law 80(August):244–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viñuales JE (2014) Green investment after Rio 2012. In: International community law review. Brill Nijhoff Publishers, pp 153–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells LT (2010) Backlash to investment arbitration: three causes. In: Waibel M et al (eds) The backlash against investment arbitration: perceptions and reality. Kluwer Law International, The Hague, pp 341–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Welsh N, Schneider AK (2013) The thoughtful integration of mediation into bilateral investment treaty arbitration. Harvard Negot Law Rev 18:71–144

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (1992) World Bank guidelines on the treatment of foreign direct investment. In: Legal framework for the treatment of foreign investment: report to the development committee and guidelines on the treatment of foreign direct investment. Vol. II. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/955221468766167766/pdf/multi-page.pdf. Accessed 8 Apr 2018

  • Zarsky L (1999) Havens, halos and spaghetti: untangling the evidence about foreign direct investment and the environment. Conference on foreign direct investment and the environment. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Centre for co-operation with non-members, environment policy committee, committee on international investment and multinational enterprises. pp 1–25

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Section Editor information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Milani, N.P. (2021). Foreign Direct Investment and Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Özuyar, P.G., Wall, T. (eds) Reduced Inequalities. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71060-0_22-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71060-0_22-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71060-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71060-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics