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Office of Investment Affairs (IFD/OIA) Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs U.S. Department of State, October 19, 2000 |
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The Office of Investment Affairs (IFD/OIA) negotiates bilateral investment treaties, participates in investment work in multilateral fora, develops strategies for combating international bribery and corruption, and assists U.S. investors confronted by investment disputes overseas. OIA encourages a nondiscriminatory, open market-oriented climate for U.S. investment overseas though negotiation of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and the negotiation of an investment chapter in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Another effort involves looking at ways to make investment policy compatible with support for core labor standards and environmental protection. The office is active in investment work in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the UN Committee on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). IFD/OIA also develops strategies for combating bribery in international business transactions in the OECD, the Organization of American States (OAS) and other multilateral fora, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The office monitors and reports on the implementation of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, to which the United States is a Party and which entered into force on February 15, 1999. IFD/OIA leads participation by the Departments of Justice and Commerce in the OECD Working Group on Bribery. It also regularly exchanges views with private sector groups interested in this issue.
IFD/OIA is also the National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). The revised Guidelines were adopted on June 27, 2000 at a Ministerial level meeting in Paris. The Guidelines are recommendations from OECD governments to their multinational enterprises on responsible corporate behavior overseas; as the National Contact Point, the office raises awareness of the Guidelines, handles inquiries, and can assist in resolving problems under the Guidelines. The Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and Labor, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and the Environmental Protection Agency also participate in National Contact Point activities. Additional documents pertaining to the revised Guidelines are the OECD Declaration on Investment and Multinational Enterprises, the Decision of the Council regarding the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (includes the Procedural Guidance), and the Commentaries on the Guidelines. OECD Note: Links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of those sites or the information contained therein. The United States Government is not responsible for the quality and accuracy of these resources. IFD/OIA is the central point of contact for assistance to investors involved in investment disputes, expropriation cases, or other claims against foreign governments. In coordination with the Office of the Legal Advisor, U.S. Embassies overseas, and other U.S. Government agencies, the office works to assist individual investors, as well as to coordinate policy to maximize the assistance provided to U.S. businesspersons overseas. IFD/OIA also develops positions on the national security implications of mergers and acquisitions of U.S. companies by foreign companies and makes recommendations on whether to approve them to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The office also work closely with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to provide foreign policy direction and logistical support.
International Finance and Development | Economic and Trade Policy | Department of State |
