UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT INVESTMENT AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY 2017 UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT 2017 New York and Geneva,2017 INVESTMENT AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY iiWorld Investment Report 2017 Investment and the Digital Economy NOTE UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.17.II.D.3 ISBN 978-92-1-112911-3 eISBN 978-92-1-060703-2 CopyrightUnited Nations,2017 All rights reserved Printed at United Nations, Geneva The Division on Investment and Enterprise of UNCTAD serves as the focal point for all matters related to foreign direct investment and multinational enterprises in the United Nations System. It builds on more than four decades of experience and international expertise in research and policy analysis on investment and enterprise development, fosters intergovernmental consensus-building, and provides technical assistance to over 150 countries. The copyright of the material in this publication rests with UNCTAD. It may be freely quoted or reprinted, but acknowledgement is requested, together with a reference to UNCTAD and this Report. A copy of the publication containing the quotation or reprint should be sent to the UNCTAD Secretariat (e-mail: diaeinfo@unctad). iiiPreface PREFACE In 2016, global fows of foreign direct investment fell by about 2 per cent, to $1.75 trillion. Investment in developing countries declined even more, by 14 per cent, and fows to LDCs and structurally weak economies remain volatile and low. Although UNCTAD predicts a modest recovery of FDI fows in 2017–2018, they are expected to remain well below their 2007 peak. These developments are troublesome, especially considering the enormous investment needs associated with the Sustainable Development Goals, detailed in UNCTAD’s Action Plan for Investment in the SDGs. Progress on sustainable development – and lasting peace – requires more investment in basic infrastructure, energy, water and sanitation, climate change mitigation, health and education, as well as investment in productive capacity to generate jobs and income growth. Now more than ever it is important to ensure that the global policy environment remains conducive to investment in sustainable development. UNCTAD plays an important role in this, by providing guidance on national and international investment policy regimes. Its Investment Policy Framework and Roadmap for Reform of International Investment Agreements have been used by more than 130 countries in formulating a new generation of investment policies. This year’s World Investment Report builds on that track record and presents policy advice on how to deal with close to 3,000 old-generation investment treaties. A key challenge for policymakers in today’s global economy is digital development. The theme chapter of the Report this year shows that the digital economy is having a major impact on global patterns of investment. It provides important insights on the implications of the digital economy for investment policies designed for the analogue era, and suggests how investment policy can support digital development. I commend this Report as an important tool for the international investment and development community. António Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations ivWorld Investment Report 2017 Investment and the Digital Economy FOREWORD The digital economy is becoming an ever more important part of the global economy. It offers many new opportunities for inclusive and sustainable development. It also comes with serious policy challenges – starting with the need to bridge the digital divide. Both the opportunities and challenges are top policy priorities for developing countries. The digital economy is fundamentally changing the way frms produce and market goods and services across borders. Digital multinationals can communicate with and sell to customers overseas without the need for much physical investment in foreign markets. Their economic impact on host countries is thus more ethereal and less directly visible in productive capacity generation and job creation. And, today, the digital economy is no longer just about the technology sector and digital frms, it is increasingly about the digitalization of supply chains across all sectors of the global economy. The digital transformation of international production has important implications for investment promotion and facilitation, and for regulations governing investor behaviour. Rules designed for the physical economy may need to be reviewed in light of new digital business models. Some countries have already taken steps to modernize policies; others face the risk of letting rules become obsolete or of unintentionally slowing down digital development. Because it is not just about digital multinationals. It is also about developing domestic digital capacities. Many countries around the world have development strategies for the digital economy. Yet most of these strategies fail to adequately address investment issues. And those that do tend to focus exclusively on investment in telecommunication infrastructure. The investment policy dimension of digital development strategies should be broadened to enabling domestic frms to reap the benefts of digitalization and easier access to global markets. The World Investment Report 2017 makes a cogent argument for a comprehensive investment policy framework for the digital economy. It demonstrates how aligning investment policies with digital development strategies will play a pivotal role in the gainful integration of developing countries into the global economy and in a more inclusive and sustainable globalization in the years to come. This is an indelible contribution to the discourse on how to narrow the digital divide and meet the enormous investment challenges of the 2030 agenda on sustainable development. I commend this report to the SDG policy community. Mukhisa Kituyi Secretary-General of UNCTAD
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