International Investment Issues

One of the Government’s principal trade objectives is to generate and capture benefits for Australia through international trade and investment liberalisation. This is pursued through a multi-faceted trade policy involving complementary multilateral, regional and bilateral engagements.

The Foreign Investment and Trade Policy Division is responsible for ensuring effective representation of Australia’s foreign investment policy and negotiating position on international investment policy issues. This includes multilateral forums, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO); regional forums, such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC); and bilateral forums, such as free trade agreements (FTAs), investment protection and promotion agreements (IPPAs) and other bilateral partnerships.

The Division also manages the Executive Member of the Board’s responsibility as the Australian National Contact Point (ANCP) for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines). The role of the ANCP is to ensure the effective implementation and promotion of the Guidelines in Australia.