Statement by Sunil Pal, Deputy Permanent Observer to the UN, New York
Strategic investments in legal frameworks, capacity building programs and infrastructure development lay the foundation for investment and trade facilitation.
That is why at IDLO we work in partnership with governments and institutions – including in LLDCs – to reform and develop laws and regulations; build institutional capacity; and empower governments, individuals and communities to participate more effectively in the domestic and global economy.
By helping our partners to simplify regulations, expedite commercial dispute resolution, enforce contracts and respect property rights, we promote investment and trade that is in line with sustainable development objectives, while enabling businesses to navigate the legal environment securely and with confidence.
A prime example of this approach is IDLO’s Investment Support Programme, which it launched in 2019, in partnership with UN OHRLLS.
The Programme, which was explicitly recognized in the 2022 Doha Programme of Action for LDC's has provided pro bono assistance to LDC's, some of whom are also LLDCs, from leading international law firms, on a wide range of trade and investment-related matters, including dispute settlement.
- In Malawi, the Programme supported the development of a model joint venture framework for agricultural investments - enhancing the government's capacity to engage the private sector in an industry that is central to the export market, rural livelihoods and food security.
- In Rwanda, the Programme conducted an analysis of bilateral and regional investment treaty practices in East Africa, helping national institutions to better negotiate trade deals and align investment policy with sustainable development objectives.
- And in Uganda, we supported the integration of community rights into international investment agreements, reinforcing the link between legal empowerment, inclusive investment, and sustainable resource governance.
By combining legal technical support with public-private partnerships and institutional capacity development tailored to their needs, the Programme has helped these LLDCs to overcome structural barriers to investment, trade and growth, and to negotiate from a position of strength, rather than dependency.
IDLO stands ready to partner with you in expanding this rule of law approach that levels the playing field between domestic and overseas actors in negotiations for investment and trade.