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Key issues in International Investment Policy Reform:

Paving the Way to the World Investment Forum

  • 16 June 2026
  • 10:30am - 12:30pm (Cairo Time)
  • 9:30am - 11:30 am (Geneva Time)

The Course

CRCICA and UNCTAD Convene High-Level Workshop on International Investment Policy Reform Ahead of the 2026 World Investment Forum

The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will convene a high-level virtual workshop on “Key Issues in International Investment Policy Reform: Paving the Way to the World Investment Forum” on 16 June 2026.

This joint initiative reflects the shared commitment of CRCICA and UNCTAD to advancing informed dialogue on the evolving international investment landscape, particularly in light of ongoing efforts to reform the international investment agreements (IIA) regime and investor–State dispute settlement (ISDS).

Bringing together leading experts from UNCTAD and distinguished practitioners, the workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of recent developments in international investment policy and dispute resolution. It will explore key themes including the growing need for reform of the IIA regime, the shift toward more sustainable and development-oriented investment governance, and emerging trends and procedural innovations in ISDS.

The workshop forms part of the preparatory activities leading to the 2026 World Investment Forum, and aims to foster interactive discussion through expert presentations, moderated dialogue, and participant engagement.

Agenda

10:30 am (CLT)
Welcome Remarks

-Hamed El Kady, Chief, International Investment Agreements, UNCTAD

-Dalia Hussein, Director of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA)

10:40 am (CLT)
The International Investment Agreements regime (IIA) and the Growing need for reform

-Yihua Teng, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, International Investment Agreements Section, UNCTAD

[Including a Mentimeter poll and 5 minutes of Q&A]
11:00 am (CLT)
The Move towards Broader and More Sustainable Investment Governance Approach in Recent IIAs

-Dafina Atanasova, Economic Affairs Officer, International Investment Agreements Section, UNCTAD

[Including a Mentimeter poll and 5 minutes of Q&A]
11:20 am (CLT)
Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Global Trends, Risks and Procedural Innovations

-Diana Rosert, Economic Affairs Officer, International Investment Agreements Section, UNCTAD

[Including a Mentimeter poll and 5 minutes of Q&A]
11:40 am (CLT)
Investment Arbitration - Recent Experience

-Mahmoud Elkharashy, International Arbitration Advisor | Sovereign, Investor–State & Commercial Disputes | Former Head of Egypt’s ISDS & Commercial Arbitration Portfolio (ESLA)

-Alia El-Gazzar, Adjunct Professor, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, The American University in Cairo | Counsel, Zulficar and Partners Law Firm’s International Arbitration Group | Lecturer of International Law and Arbitration at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) – School of Law.

12:15 pm (CLT)
The UNCTAD Guiding Principles on IIA Reform: Accelerating Reform that Places Sustainable Development at the Core of the Regime

-Vincent Beyer, Legal Expert, International Investment Agreements Section, UNCTAD

[Including a Mentimeter poll and 5 minutes of Q&A]
12:30 pm (CLT)
Closing Remarks: Paving the Way to the 2026 World Investment Forum: UNCTAD's High-Level IIA Conference

-Dalia Hussein, Director of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA)

-Hamed El Kady, Chief, International Investment Agreements, UNCTAD

Registration Fees

Free

Registration form

Registration Closed