Foreign Direct Investment for Development: The United Nations Code of Conduct and the Search for Balance in International Investment Rules

Abstract

This chapter looks at the considerations that shaped the negotiations of a United Nations Code of Conduct on Transnational Corporations and at the search for balance in international investment rules, considerations that have since then continued to inform efforts to establish an international investment framework. These considerations include the interests of the stakeholders, the changing focus of international investment rules, the responsibilities of MNEs and the rights of governments, the responsibilities of host countries, and the rights of investors.