World investment report 2012: towards a new generation of investment policies

The report indicates that global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in 2011 surpassed the pre-crisis average – reaching US$1.5 trillion, despite persistent uncertainty in the global economy. However, flows still remained more than 20 per cent below their 2007 peak. The report contains detailed analysis of global and regional investment trends, national policy developments and the special topic on the new generation of investment policies. The feport contains a comprehensive investment policy framework for sustainable development, which provides detailed guidelines for national and international investment policy making. The report also suggests that investment policy-making is at a cross-road, reflected by intensified review and revision of existing national and international investment regimes. Many countries continue to liberalize and promote foreign investment. At the same time, new regulatory and control measures are introduced, although often in pursuit of other policy objectives, such as industrial policy.