Agreement on Promotion, Protection and Guarantee of Investments amongst the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

OIC Investment Agreement (1981)

Treaties with Investment Provisions

In force

05/06/1981

02-1988

en

Mapped

Not mapped

As of 2021, the OIC Investment Agreement was in force for: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Islamic Republic of, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, State of Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uganda.

More information on the status of the agreement and the signatories can be found here.

Relationships with other agreements

Type Agreement
Coexists with Afghanistan - Iran, Islamic Republic of BIT (2006)
Coexists with Afghanistan - Turkey BIT (2004)
Coexists with Albania - Egypt BIT (1993)
Coexists with Albania - Iran, Islamic Republic of BIT (2002)
Coexists with Albania - Kuwait BIT (2007)
Coexists with Albania - Malaysia BIT (1994)
Coexists with Albania - Qatar BIT (2011)
Coexists with Albania - Tunisia BIT (1993)
Coexists with Albania - Turkey BIT (1992)
Coexists with Bangladesh - Indonesia BIT (1998)
Coexists with Bangladesh - Iran, Islamic Republic of BIT (2001)
Coexists with Bangladesh - Malaysia BIT (1994)
Coexists with Bangladesh - Pakistan BIT (1995)
Coexists with Bangladesh - Turkey BIT (2012)
Coexists with Bangladesh - United Arab Emirates BIT (2011)
Coexists with Benin - Burkina Faso BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Lebanon BIT (2004)
Coexists with Benin - Mali BIT (2001)
Coexists with Benin - Morocco BIT (2004)
Coexists with Benin - United Arab Emirates BIT (2013)
Coexists with Burkina Faso - Comoros BIT (2001)
Coexists with Burkina Faso - Guinea BIT (2003)
Coexists with Burkina Faso - Malaysia BIT (1998)
Coexists with Burkina Faso - Mauritania BIT (2001)
Coexists with Burkina Faso - Morocco BIT (2007)
Coexists with Burkina Faso - Tunisia BIT (1993)
Coexists with Cameroon - Egypt BIT (2000)
Coexists with Cameroon - Guinea BIT (2001)
Coexists with Cameroon - Mali BIT (2001)
Coexists with Cameroon - Mauritania BIT (2001)
Coexists with Cameroon - Morocco BIT (2007)
Coexists with Cameroon - Turkey BIT (2012)
Coexists with Comoros - Egypt BIT (1994)
Coexists with Comoros - Mali BIT (2001)
Coexists with Côte d'Ivoire - Tunisia BIT (1995)
Coexists with Djibouti - Egypt BIT (1998)
Coexists with Djibouti - Iran, Islamic Republic of BIT (2010)
Coexists with Djibouti - Malaysia BIT (1998)
Coexists with Djibouti - Turkey BIT (2013)
Coexists with Egypt - Gabon BIT (1997)
Coexists with Egypt - Guinea BIT (1998)
Coexists with Egypt - Indonesia BIT (1994)
Coexists with Egypt - Iran, Islamic Republic of BIT (1977)
Coexists with Egypt - Jordan BIT (1996)
Coexists with Egypt - Kuwait BIT (2001)
Coexists with Egypt - Libya BIT (1990)
Coexists with Egypt - Lebanon BIT (1996)
Coexists with Egypt - Malaysia BIT (1997)
Coexists with Egypt - Mali BIT (1998)
Coexists with Egypt - Morocco BIT (1997)
Coexists with Egypt - Niger BIT (1998)
Coexists with Egypt - Nigeria BIT (2000)
Coexists with Egypt - Oman BIT (1998)
Coexists with Egypt - State of Palestine BIT (1998)
Coexists with Egypt - Qatar BIT (1999)
Coexists with Egypt - Pakistan BIT (2000)
Coexists with Egypt - Senegal BIT (1998)
Coexists with Egypt - Somalia BIT (1982)
Coexists with Egypt - Sudan BIT (2001)
Coexists with Egypt - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (1997)
Coexists with Egypt - Tunisia BIT (1989)
Coexists with Egypt - Turkey BIT (1996)
Coexists with Egypt - Uganda BIT (1995)
Coexists with Egypt - United Arab Emirates BIT (1997)
Coexists with Egypt - Yemen BIT (1996)
Coexists with Gabon - Lebanon BIT (2001)
Coexists with Gabon - Mali BIT (2005)
Coexists with Gabon - Morocco BIT (2004)
Coexists with Gabon - Turkey BIT (2012)
Coexists with Gambia - Guinea BIT (2002)
Coexists with Gambia - Iran, Islamic Republic of BIT (2007)
Coexists with Gambia - Libya BIT (1995)
Coexists with Gambia - Mali BIT (2004)
Coexists with Gambia - Mauritania BIT (2001)
Coexists with Gambia - Morocco BIT (2006)
Coexists with Gambia - Qatar BIT (2002)
Coexists with Gambia - Turkey BIT (2013)
Coexists with Guinea - Lebanon BIT (2004)
Coexists with Guinea - Malaysia BIT (1996)
Coexists with Guinea - Mali BIT (2001)
Coexists with Guinea - Mauritania BIT (2001)
Coexists with Guinea - Morocco BIT (2002)
Coexists with Guinea - Tunisia BIT (1990)
Coexists with Guinea - Turkey BIT (2013)
Coexists with Indonesia - Iran, Islamic Republic of BIT (2005)
Coexists with Indonesia - Jordan BIT (1996)
Coexists with Indonesia - Malaysia BIT (1994)
Coexists with Indonesia - Morocco BIT (1997)
Coexists with Indonesia - Pakistan BIT (1996)
Coexists with Indonesia - Qatar BIT (2000)
Coexists with Indonesia - Saudi Arabia BIT (2003)
Coexists with Indonesia - Sudan BIT (1998)
Coexists with Indonesia - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (1997)
Coexists with Indonesia - Tajikistan BIT (2003)
Coexists with Indonesia - Tunisia BIT (1992)
Coexists with Indonesia - Turkey BIT (1997)
Coexists with Indonesia - Yemen BIT (1998)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Kuwait BIT (2007)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Lebanon BIT (1997)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Libya BIT (2006)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Malaysia BIT (2002)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Morocco BIT (2001)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Oman BIT (2001)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Pakistan BIT (1995)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Qatar BIT (1999)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Sudan BIT (1999)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (1998)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Tajikistan BIT (1995)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Turkey BIT (1996)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Tunisia BIT (2001)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Yemen BIT (1996)
Coexists with Iraq - Kuwait BIT (1964)
Coexists with Jordan - Kuwait BIT (2001)
Coexists with Jordan - Lebanon BIT (2002)
Coexists with Jordan - Malaysia BIT (1994)
Coexists with Jordan - Morocco BIT (1998)
Coexists with Jordan - Oman BIT (2007)
Coexists with Jordan - State of Palestine BIT (2012)
Coexists with Jordan - Qatar BIT (2009)
Coexists with Jordan - Sudan BIT (2000)
Coexists with Jordan - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2001)
Coexists with Jordan - Tunisia BIT (1995)
Coexists with Jordan - Turkey BIT (1993)
Coexists with Jordan - United Arab Emirates BIT (2009)
Coexists with Jordan - Yemen BIT (1996)
Coexists with Kuwait - Lebanon BIT (2001)
Coexists with Kuwait - Malaysia BIT (1987)
Coexists with Kuwait - Mauritania BIT (2006)
Coexists with Kuwait - Morocco BIT (1999)
Coexists with Kuwait - Pakistan BIT (2011)
Coexists with Kuwait - Sudan BIT (2001)
Coexists with Kuwait - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2001)
Coexists with Kuwait - Tajikistan BIT (1995)
Coexists with Kuwait - Tunisia BIT (1973)
Coexists with Kuwait - Turkey BIT (2010)
Coexists with Kuwait - United Arab Emirates BIT (1966)
Coexists with Kuwait - Yemen BIT (2001)
Coexists with Lebanon - Malaysia BIT (1998)
Coexists with Lebanon - Mauritania BIT (2004)
Coexists with Lebanon - Morocco BIT (1997)
Coexists with Lebanon - Oman BIT (2006)
Coexists with Lebanon - Pakistan BIT (2001)
Coexists with Lebanon - Qatar BIT (2010)
Coexists with Lebanon - Sudan BIT (2004)
Coexists with Lebanon - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2010)
Coexists with Lebanon - Tunisia BIT (1998)
Coexists with Lebanon - Turkey BIT (2004)
Coexists with Lebanon - United Arab Emirates BIT (1998)
Coexists with Lebanon - Yemen BIT (1999)
Coexists with Libya - Morocco BIT (2000)
Coexists with Libya - Qatar BIT (2004)
Coexists with Libya - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (1993)
Coexists with Libya - Tunisia BIT (2005)
Coexists with Libya - Turkey BIT (2009)
Coexists with Malaysia - Morocco BIT (2002)
Coexists with Malaysia - Pakistan BIT (1995)
Coexists with Malaysia - Saudi Arabia BIT (2000)
Coexists with Malaysia - Senegal BIT (1999)
Coexists with Malaysia - Sudan BIT (1998)
Coexists with Malaysia - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2009)
Coexists with Malaysia - Turkey BIT (1998)
Coexists with Malaysia - United Arab Emirates BIT (1991)
Coexists with Malaysia - Yemen BIT (1998)
Coexists with Mali - Qatar BIT (2002)
Coexists with Mali - Senegal BIT (2005)
Coexists with Mali - Tunisia BIT (1986)
Coexists with Mauritania - Morocco BIT (2000)
Coexists with Mauritania - Qatar BIT (2003)
Coexists with Mauritania - Tunisia BIT (1986)
Coexists with Morocco - Oman BIT (2001)
Coexists with Morocco - Pakistan BIT (2001)
Coexists with Morocco - Qatar BIT (1999)
Coexists with Morocco - Senegal BIT (2006)
Coexists with Morocco - Sudan BIT (1999)
Coexists with Morocco - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2001)
Coexists with Morocco - Tunisia BIT (1994)
Coexists with Morocco - Turkey BIT (1997)
Coexists with Morocco - United Arab Emirates BIT (1999)
Coexists with Morocco - Yemen BIT (2001)
Coexists with Niger - Tunisia BIT (1992)
Coexists with Nigeria - Turkey BIT (2011)
Coexists with Nigeria - Uganda BIT (2003)
Coexists with Oman - Pakistan BIT (1997)
Coexists with Oman - Sudan BIT (1999)
Coexists with Oman - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2005)
Coexists with Oman - Tunisia BIT (1991)
Coexists with Oman - Turkey BIT (2007)
Coexists with Oman - Yemen BIT (1998)
Coexists with Pakistan - Qatar BIT (1999)
Coexists with Pakistan - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (1996)
Coexists with Pakistan - Tajikistan BIT (2004)
Coexists with Pakistan - Tunisia BIT (1996)
Coexists with Pakistan - Turkey BIT (1995)
Coexists with Pakistan - Turkey BIT (2012)
Coexists with Pakistan - United Arab Emirates BIT (1995)
Coexists with Pakistan - Yemen BIT (1999)
Coexists with Qatar - Senegal BIT (1998)
Coexists with Qatar - Sudan BIT (1998)
Coexists with Qatar - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2003)
Coexists with Qatar - Tajikistan BIT (2007)
Coexists with Qatar - Tunisia BIT (1996)
Coexists with Qatar - Turkey BIT (2001)
Coexists with Qatar - Yemen BIT (2000)
Coexists with Saudi Arabia - Turkey BIT (2006)
Coexists with Senegal - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (1975)
Coexists with Senegal - Tunisia BIT (1984)
Coexists with Senegal - Turkey BIT (2010)
Coexists with Sudan - Syrian Arab Republic BIT (2000)
Coexists with Sudan - Tunisia BIT (2003)
Coexists with Sudan - United Arab Emirates BIT (2011)
Coexists with Sudan - Yemen BIT (1999)
Coexists with Syrian Arab Republic - Tajikistan BIT (2007)
Coexists with Syrian Arab Republic - Tunisia BIT (2001)
Coexists with Syrian Arab Republic - Turkey BIT (2004)
Coexists with Syrian Arab Republic - United Arab Emirates BIT (1997)
Coexists with Syrian Arab Republic - Yemen BIT (1996)
Coexists with Tajikistan - Turkey BIT (1996)
Coexists with Tajikistan - United Arab Emirates BIT (1995)
Coexists with Tunisia - Turkey BIT (1991)
Coexists with Tunisia - United Arab Emirates BIT (1996)
Coexists with Tunisia - Yemen BIT (1998)
Coexists with Turkey - United Arab Emirates BIT (2005)
Coexists with Turkey - Yemen BIT (2000)
Coexists with United Arab Emirates - Yemen BIT (2001)
No overlap Albania - Turkey FTA (2006)
No overlap Egypt - Turkey FTA (2005)
No overlap Syria - Turkey FTA (2004)
No overlap Palestine - Turkey FTA (2004)
No overlap Morocco - Turkey FTA (2004)
No overlap Jordan - Turkey FTA (2009)
Coexists with Malaysia - Pakistan CEPA (2007)
Coexists with Egypt - Saudi Arabia (1990)
No overlap Malaysia - Turkey FTA (2014)
Coexists with Guinea-Bissau - Morocco BIT (2015)
Coexists with Mali - Morocco BIT (2014)
Coexists with Côte d'Ivoire - Turkey BIT (2016)
Coexists with Somalia - Turkey BIT (2016)
Coexists with Morocco - Nigeria BIT (2016)
Coexists with Jordan - Turkey BIT (2016)
Coexists with Iraq - Kuwait BIT (2013)
Coexists with Indonesia - Libya BIT (2009)
Coexists with Kuwait - Senegal BIT (2009)
Coexists with Kuwait - Nigeria BIT (2011)
Coexists with Sudan - Turkey BIT (2014)
Coexists with Turkey - Benin BIT (2013)
Coexists with Sudan - United Arab Emirates BIT (2001)
Coexists with Morocco - Senegal BIT (2001)
Coexists with Morocco - Yemen BIT (1997)
Coexists with Nigeria - Turkey BIT (1996)
Coexists with Nigeria - United Arab Emirates BIT (2016)
Coexists with Mauritania - Turkey BIT (2018)
Coexists with Mali - Turkey BIT (2018)
Coexists with Turkey - State of Palestine BIT (2018)
Coexists with Guinea - United Arab Emirates BIT (2011)
Coexists with Burkina Faso - Turkey BIT (2019)
Coexists with Iran, Islamic Republic of - Iraq BIT (2015)
Coexists with Jordan - Iraq BIT (2013)
Coexists with Benin - Kuwait BIT (2008)
Coexists with Djibouti - Kuwait BIT (2009)
Coexists with Jordan - Saudi Arabia BIT (2017)
Coexists with Mali - United Arab Emirates BIT (2018)
Coexists with Albania - United Arab Emirates BIT (2015)
Coexists with Iraq - Saudi Arabia BIT (2019)
Coexists with Bangladesh - Kuwait BIT (2016)
Coexists with Qatar - Somalia BIT (2018)
Coexists with Côte d'Ivoire - Qatar BIT (2018)
Coexists with Sudan - Turkey BIT (1999)
No overlap Tunisia - Turkey FTA (2004)
Coexists with Indonesia - United Arab Emirates CEPA (2022)
Coexists with Türkiye - United Arab Emirates BIT (2023)
Coexists with Türkiye - United Arab Emirates CEPA (2023)
Coexists with Gambia - United Arab Emirates BIT (2019)

Mapped treaty elements


Expand / collapse all

Reference to right to regulate (e.g. regulatory autonomy, policy space, flexibility to introduce new regulations)
No
Reference to sustainable development
No
Reference to social investment aspects (e.g. human rights, labour, health, CSR, poverty reduction)
Yes
Reference to environmental aspects (e.g. plant or animal life, biodiversity, climate change)
No

Definition of investment
Type of definition
Asset-based definition
Limitations to the definition of investment
Excludes portfolio investment
No
Excludes other specific assets (e.g. sovereign debt, ordinary commercial transactions, etc.)
No
Lists required characteristics of investment
Yes
Contains "in accordance with host State laws" requirement
No
Sets out closed (exhaustive) list of covered assets
No
Definition of investor
Definition included
Yes
Specifying natural persons covered
Includes permanent residents
No
Excludes dual nationals
No
Specifying legal entities covered
Includes requirement of substantial business activity
No
Defines ownership and control of legal entities
No
Denial of benefits (DoB)
DoB clause included
No
Content of the DoB clause
"Substantive business operations" criterion
No
Applies to investors from States with no diplomatic relations or under economic/trade restrictions
No
Discretionary ("Party may deny") or mandatory ("benefits shall be denied")
Not stipulated
Substantive scope of the treaty
Limiting substantive scope of the treaty
Excludes taxation
No
Excludes subsidies, grants
No
Excludes government procurement
No
Excludes other subject matter
No
Temporal scope of the treaty
Investments covered
Not stipulated
Disputes covered
Not stipulated

National treatment (NT)
Type of NT clause
None
Reference to "like circumstances" (or similar)
Not applicable
Most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment
Type of MFN clause
Post-establishment
Exceptions from MFN obligation
Economic integration agreements
Yes
Taxation treaties
Yes
Procedural issues (ISDS) or substantive IIA standards
No
Fair and equitable treatment (FET)
Type of FET clause
None
FET qualified
By reference to international law
Not applicable
By listing FET elements (exhaustive or indicative list)
Not applicable
FET modifiers
Not applicable
Full protection and security
Standard
Prohibition on unreasonable, arbitrary or discriminatory measures
No
Expropriation
Scope of measures covered
Indirect expropriation mentioned
Refining expropriation clause
Indirect expropriation defined
No
Carve-out for general regulatory measures
No
Carve-out for compulsory licenses in conformity with WTO
No
Protection from strife
Specifications
Relative right to compensation (comparator)
MFN only
Absolute right to compensation in certain circumstances
No
Transfer of funds
Includes transfer of funds
Yes
Exceptions to the transfer of funds obligation
Balance-of-payments exception
No
Other specific exceptions (e.g. to protect creditors, etc.)
Yes
Prohibition of performance requirements (PRs)
Includes prohibition of PRs
No explicit PR clause
Type of PR clause
Not applicable
Umbrella clause
Yes
Entry and sojourn of personnel (subject to local laws)
Yes
Senior management (nationality)
No

Transparency
Directed at States (obligation to publish laws and regulations)
No
Directed at investors
No
Health and environment (any mentioning in the text, except preamble)
No
Labour standards (any mentioning in the text, except preamble)
No
Right to regulate (any mentioning in the text of this or similar concepts, except preamble)
No
Corporate social responsibility (any mentioning in the text, except preamble)
No
Corruption (any mentioning in the text, except preamble)
No
Not lowering of standards (typically environment and/or labour standards)
No
Subrogation clause
No
Non-derogation clause (in case of IIA’s conflict with other norms, more favourable rules apply to investors)
No
Investment promotion
Reference to specific promotion activities in text of agreement (not preamble)
Yes

Essential security exception
Exception included
No
Exception defined (exceptional circumstances described in more detail)
Not applicable
Exception self-judging
Not applicable
General public policy exceptions
Public health and environment
No
Other public policy exceptions (e.g. cultural heritage, public order, etc.)
No
Prudential carve-out (concerns financial measures)
No
Scheduling and reservations (in treaty texts and annexes)
None

SSDS included
No

ISDS included
Yes
Alternatives to arbitration
Voluntary ADR (conciliation / mediation)
Scope and consent
Scope of claims: general approach (chapeau paragraph of ISDS clause)
Covers treaty claims only
Limitations to the scope of ISDS
Limitation of provisions subject to ISDS
No
Exclusion of policy areas from ISDS
No
Special mechanism for taxation or prudential measures
No
Type of consent to arbitration
Provides express or implied consent
Forums
ISDS forum options
Domestic courts of the host State
Yes
ICSID
No
UNCITRAL
No
Other forums
Yes
Relationship between forums
"Fork in the road"
Other specific ISDS features
Limitation period for submission of claims
No
Provisional measures
No
Consolidation of claims
No
Limited remedies (specifying available types of remedies)
No
Treaty interpretation
Affirms binding interpretation by contracting parties or their joint committee
No
Requires certain questions to be submitted to contracting parties (renvoi)
No
Regulates submissions by non-disputing State party
No
Transparency in arbitral proceedings
Requires documents to be made publicly available
No
Requires hearings to be open to the public
No
Regulates amicus curiae submissions by third (non-disputing) parties
No

Mechanism for consultations between State parties
No
Institutional framework (committee)
No
Technical cooperation/capacity building
No

Treaty duration
Years of initial treaty term
Indefinite
Automatic renewal
Indefinite term
Amendment and termination
Unilateral termination
Includes modalities for unilateral termination
Yes
Length of notice period
One year prior notice
Includes modalities for amendment or renegotiation
No
"Survival"/"sunset" clause length
Other

11-2025

UNCTAD

The IIA Mapping Project is a collaborative initiative between UNCTAD and universities worldwide to map the content of IIAs. The resulting database serves as a tool to understand trends in IIA drafting, assess the prevalence of different policy approaches and identify treaty examples.

For more information on the project, please read the Mapping Project Description & Methodology .

  • UNCTAD's Work Programme on International Investment Agreements (IIAs) actively assists policymakers, government officials and other IIA stakeholders to reform IIAs with a view to making them more conducive to sustainable development and inclusive growth.

    International investment rulemaking is taking place at the bilateral, regional, interregional and multilateral levels. It requires policymakers, negotiators, civil society and other stakeholders to be well informed about foreign direct investment, international investment agreements (IIAs) and their impact on sustainable development.

    Main goals of UNCTAD’s Work Programme on IIAs

    • Reform the international investment agreements (IIAs) regime to enhance its sustainable development dimension,

    • Provide comprehensive analysis on key issues arising from the complexity of the international investment regime,

    • Develop a wide range of tools to support the formulation of more balanced international investment policies.

    The three pillars of activities

    • Research and policy analysis: monitoring trends, identifying key emerging issues and providing cutting-edge knowledge on IIAs from a sustainable development perspective,

    • Technical assistance: delivering trainings, seminars and workshops; conducting IIA and model BIT reviews; offering ad-hoc advice to strengthen the capacity of beneficiaries in handling the complexities of the IIA regime,

    • Intergovernmental consensus-building: exchanging and sharing best practices and experience with the view to fostering global investment governance.

    For further information, please contact us via the online contact form.

    IIA Navigator

    This database of IIAs – the IIA Navigator – is maintained by UNCTAD’s IIA Section. You can browse through IIAs concluded by a particular country or country grouping, view recently concluded IIAs, or use the Advanced Treaty Search for sophisticated searches tailored to your needs.
    Please cite as: UNCTAD, International Investment Agreements Navigator, available at https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/international-investment-agreements/

    IIA Mapping Project

    The IIA Mapping Project is a collaborative initiative between UNCTAD and universities worldwide to map the content of IIAs. The resulting database serves as a tool to understand trends in IIA drafting, assess the prevalence of different policy approaches and identify treaty examples.

    The “Mapping of IIA Content” allows browsing through the project results to date (the page is regularly updated as the new results come in).
    Please cite as: UNCTAD, Mapping of IIA Content, available at https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/international-investment-agreements/iia-mapping

    For more information:
    Mapping Project page
    Project Description & Methodology document

  • IIA Navigator

    International investment agreements (IIAs) are divided into two types:
    (1) bilateral investment treaties and (2) treaties with investment provisions.

    A bilateral investment treaty (BIT) is an agreement between two countries regarding promotion and protection of investments made by investors from respective countries in each other’s territory. The great majority of IIAs are BITs.

    The category of treaties with investment provisions (TIPs) brings together various types of investment treaties that are not BITs. Three main types of TIPs can be distinguished:

    1. broad economic treaties that include obligations commonly found in BITs (e.g. a free trade agreement with an investment chapter);

    2. treaties with limited investment-related provisions (e.g. only those concerning establishment of investments or free transfer of investment-related funds); and

    3. treaties that only contain “framework” clauses such as the ones on cooperation in the area of investment and/or for a mandate for future negotiations on investment issues.

    In addition to IIAs, there also exists an open-ended category of investment-related instruments (IRIs). It encompasses various binding and not-binding instruments and includes, for example, model agreements and draft instruments, multilateral conventions on dispute settlement and arbitration rules, documents adopted by international organisations, and others.

    IIA Mapping Project

    Key concepts

    - The mapping structure, displayed in the “Select mapped treaty elements” tab, is a “table of contents” that includes all of the mapped treaty elements. It corresponds to the typical structure of an IIA.

    - The mapped treaty elements are elements of an investment treaty mapped in the course of the IIA Mapping Project. The number of mapped treaty elements exceeds 100. Each mapped treaty element has a set of pre-defined mapping options to choose from.

    - The mapping options indicate the approach taken in the treaty to the relevant mapped treaty element. Mapping options can be of the “Yes/No” type or they can indicate the treaty approach more specifically (e.g. the type of fair and equitable treatment clause (FET) – qualified / unqualified / none etc.). Each mapped treaty element includes the “Inconclusive” and “Not applicable” options.

    Search tips

    “Select mapped treaty elements” tab:

    • By default, the tab shows the highest-level headings within the mapping structure. Click on the relevant heading to expand individual sections, or click on the “Expand/Collapse All” button to see all mapped treaty elements.
    • To generate a list of treaties that satisfy a certain option under a mapped treaty element, find the element in the mapping structure and select the desired option (e.g. Preamble / Reference to sustainable development / Yes).
    • Once a selection is made, the list of treaties is updated automatically, so that only treaties that correspond to the selected option are listed (the resulting number of treaties appears in the orange bar above the listed treaties, which also displays the total number of mapped treaties, e.g. “43 out of 1437 mapped treaties”).
    • If more than one option is selected under the same mapped treaty element, the system displays treaties that correspond to at least one of the options selected (i.e. results are combined). For example, a selection of “Type of FET clause”: “FET unqualified” and “FET qualified” will generate a list of mapped treaties that contain either type of clause.
    • If more than one option is selected under different mapped treaty elements, the system displays only those treaties that correspond to all of the parameters/options selected. For example, a selection of “Type of FET clause”: “FET qualified” and “Type of MFN clause”: “Post-establishment” will generate a list of mapped treaties that fulfil both criteria at the same time.


    “Filter by country, type, status, year” tab:

    • To apply an additional filter or filters, click on the “Filter by country, type, status, year” tab, expand the relevant filter(s) and make a selection.
    • Once a selection is made, the list of treaties is updated automatically, so that only treaties that correspond to the selected option are listed (the resulting number of treaties appears in the orange bar above the listed treaties, which also displays the total number of mapped treaties, e.g. “905 out of 1437 mapped treaties”).
    • The additional filters under “Filter by country, type, status, year” can be used on their own or in combination with the “Select mapped treaty elements” tab (e.g. to generate a list of BITs in force concluded between 2005 and 2015 whose preambles contain a reference to sustainable development).
    • If more than one option is selected under the same additional filter, the system displays treaties that correspond to at least one of the options selected (i.e. results are combined). For example, selecting “Argentina” and “Austria” in the “Country” filter will generate a list of mapped treaties signed either by Argentina or by Austria.
    • If more than one option is selected under different additional filters, the system displays only those treaties that correspond to all of the filters/options selected. For example, selecting “BITs” in the “Type of agreement” filter and “In force” in the “Status” filter will generate a list of mapped treaties that fulfil both criteria at the same time.


    Individual treaty mapping and text:

    • To view the full mapping of any individual treaty listed, click on any individual treaty name in the “short title” column (opens in a new tab) and scroll down to the “Mapped treaty elements” (click “Expand / collapse all” to see all elements.
    • The text of any treaty listed can be accessed through the link or links in the “Text” column (opens in a new tab).
    • For additional information on any individual treaty, click on the treaty’s “Short title”.


    “Expand/Collapse All” and “Clear selection” buttons:

    • The respective buttons apply only to the tab that is currently active, i.e. the “Select mapped treaty elements” tab or the “Filter by country, type, status, year” tab. To apply a button in both tabs, click the button in the current tab, then switch to the other tabs and click the button again.

  • Disclaimer

    The IIA Navigator is continuously adjusted as a result of verification with, and comments from, UN Member States. It is primarily built on information provided by governments on a voluntary basis. A treaty is included in a country's IIA count once it is formally concluded; treaties whose negotiations have been concluded, but which have not been signed, are not counted. A treaty is excluded from the IIA count once its termination becomes effective, regardless of whether it continues to have legal effect for certain investments during its “survival” (“sunset”) period.

    While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of its content, UNCTAD assumes no responsibility for eventual errors or omissions in these data. The information and texts included in the database serve a purely informative purpose and have no official or legal status. In the event of doubt regarding the content of the database, it is suggested that you contact the relevant government department of the State(s) concerned. Users are kindly asked to report agreements, errors or omissions by using the online contact form.

    The IIA Mapping Project is a collaborative initiative between UNCTAD and universities worldwide to map the content of IIAs. Individual treaties are mapped by law students from participating universities, under the supervision of their professors and with the overall guidance and coordination of UNCTAD.

    The mapping results included in the IIA Mapping Project database serve a purely informative purpose. The mapping of treaty provisions is not exhaustive, has no official or legal status, does not affect the rights and obligations of the contracting parties and is not intended to provide any authoritative or official legal interpretation.

    While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, UNCTAD assumes no responsibility for eventual errors or omissions in the mapping data. In the event of doubt regarding the correctness of mapping results, users are kindly asked to contact us via the online contact form.