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 30th 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 May 2023 and 15 October 2023.

During the reporting period, G20 members made few adjustments to their investment policies, confirming a longer-time trend in this area. The attention to the security implications of FDI in G20 economies – and beyond – which has been increasing since 2017, remains high. Measures to manage potential security implications of FDI constitute again a significant share of the policy changes taken in the reporting period.

The report also shows that the succession of crises and the uncertain economic environment continue to weigh on international investment and in particular on FDI. This sustained weakness in FDI makes it more challenging to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This concern is amplified by the SDG investment gap in developing countries, which has alarmingly widened from USD 2.5 trillion to about USD 4 trillion per year, leading up to 2030. Against this backdrop, it is urgent for countries to enhance their ability to mobilise investment and channel it towards sustainable development.

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