United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Rep

The digital economy is a significant and rapidly expanding part of the global economy. However, the benefits of the digital economy are unevenly spread; there is a large digital divide. It is caused by infrastructure gaps, skills gaps, and services gaps. Bridging these gaps requires significant investment and private sector development. Promoting international investment by digital MNEs can support digital development. UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2017 first looked at the implications of the digital economy for international investment and investment policy. Since that report, the relevance of digital-economy foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased significantly. Digital technologies have continued to advance. Investment policies connected to digitalization have also moved on. And, importantly, the United Nations adopted a new Digital Compact in 2024 with the objective to help developing countries bridge the digital divide. World Investment Report 2025 aims to explore the latest trends of international investment in digital economy, analyze the drivers and determinants, assess their impact on sustainable development, as well as analyze how investment policy can support digital economy, and provide relevant policy recommendations.

The 2019 edition of the World Investment Report focuses on special economic zones (SEZs) which are widely used across most developing and many developed economies. Although the performance of many zones remains below expectations, the rate of establishment of new zones is accelerating as governments increasingly compete for internationally mobile industrial activity. Policymakers face not only the traditional challenges to making SEZs succeed, including the need for strategic focus, sound governance models, and effective investment promotion tools, but also new challenges brought about by the sustainable development imperative, the new industrial revolution, and changing patterns of international production. The Report explores the place of SEZs in today's global investment landscape and provides guidance for policymakers on how to make SEZs work for sustainable development. It presents international investment trends and prospects at global, regional and national levels, as well as the evolution of international production and global value chains. It analyses the latest developments in new policy measures for investment promotion, facilitation and regulation around the world, as well as updates on investment treaties, their reform and investment dispute settlement cases.