When the Global Financial Crisis broke out, in 2008 and early 2009, G20 members committed to refrain from introducing new barriers to investment or trade. They complemented this commitment by a request that WTO, OECD and UNCTAD monitor and report publicly on their new trade and investment policy measures. This 29 monitoring report on investment measures by G20 members, jointly prepared by the UNCTAD and OECD Secretariats, documents measures that G20 Governments have taken in relation to their pledge. It covers investment and investment-related measures adopted between 16 October 2022 and 15 May 2023.

G20 members have made only limited changes to their investment policies in the reporting period – with the notable exception of adjustments to manage security implications of foreign investment. They have also taken further measures in relation to the continuing war in Ukraine.

The appreciation of the significance of international investment is critical to address the current and future crises and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is particularly important in the context of a growing SDG investment gap in developing countries. As we approach the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, countries need to intensify their efforts to promote and facilitate investment across all SDG-relevant sectors. They also need investment to ensure a swift and just transition to carbon neutrality, and to overcome the continued and deepening poverty across and within societies.

Download publication here.