Regional hybrid forum explores new direction for international investment agreements

THE Regional Policy Dialogue on “Moving Forward to the New Trend of International Invest­ment Agreement (IIA) – Bring­ing the Concept of Sustainable and Responsible Investments (SRI)” was held in a hybrid for­mat at the MGallery Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on 18-19 November 2025.

 

The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations (MIFER) and the ASEAN Secre­tariat with funding support of the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) – ECOTECH (AHKECOTECH) Work Programme.

 

At the opening session, Un­ion Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Dr Wah Wah Maung delivered the opening speech, stressing that incorporating the concept of sustainable and responsible in­vestment into the upgraded and future regional IIAs would help to mitigate investment disputes. Furthermore, it can secure the host state’s right to regulate and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at both national and re­gional levels. The Union Minister also highlighted that efforts to adopt the ASEAN Guidelines on Sustainable Investment (ASIG) at the regional level reflect the collective commitment of all ASEAN Member States.

 

Following the Union Min­ister’s opening speech, open­ing remarks were delivered by Mr Char Chi Man, Hong Kong Co-chair of the AHKFTA Sub­committee on Investment, Ms Rozieyanahayu Ab Rahman, ASEAN Co-chair of the AHKFTA Subcommittee on Investment, and Ms Yuanita Ruchyat, Senior Officer at Services & Investment Division of the ASEAN Secre­tariat, concerning the potential inclusion of sustainable and re­sponsible investment provisions in regional investment agree­ments, as well as the importance of regional cooperation in invest­ment policy formulation.

 

Then, the event proceeded with presentations and panel discussions focusing on the re­lationship between sustainable and responsible investment and International Investment Agreements (IIAs), and how this relationship can mitigate disputes between investor and the host state, delivered by the international representatives from the United Nations Com­mission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), alongside international experts. Also, representatives from the ASEAN Working Group on Investment of ASEAN Mem­ber States presented their re­spective national efforts toward achieving sustainable develop­ment.

 

The Regional Policy Di­alogue was conducted for two days. The opening ceremony was attended by a total of 150 participants led by Union Minis­ter Dr Wah Wah Maung, Deputy Minister Daw Than Than Linn, Deputy Minister U Thant Sin Lwin, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General, and senior officials from relevant ministries, representatives from the ASE­AN Secretariat, ASEAN Member States, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China), and international experts. — MIFER