Trade, Investment & Finance Programme

Trade, investment, and financial laws play a pivotal role in either advancing or hindering sustainable development. As global economic growth cautiously picks up pace, and foreign direct investment levels recover to pre-pandemic levels, there is an urgent need for international economic law to align with the goals of a global green economy. However, challenges such as slow progress in global trade negotiations, increasing trade skepticism, and the rise of protectionism are driving the development of new forms of economic cooperation, often in opposition to economic nationalism. Amidst these shifts, regional trade agreements (RTAs) are emerging as key instruments for integrating sustainable development objectives into international economic frameworks. These agreements are not only recognizing the importance of sustainability but are also creating exceptions for health, environmental, and public policy concerns; addressing sustainability in procurement, intellectual property, and investment; and embedding climate change as a fundamental element of trade.

The focus of this research will be on these new ‘progressive’ trade agreements, particularly in how they promote the economic interests of indigenous peoples. Simultaneously, research into the intersections of international investment law with sustainable development, as well as the potential for innovation in financial law, is rapidly expanding, highlighting the critical importance of legal frameworks in shaping a sustainable global economy. In contribution to global efforts, through the Trade, Investment and Finance Programme, CISDL aims to advance knowledge and understanding of international trade law for sustainable development within the context of progressive trade agreements respectful of human rights, indigenous rights, gender quality, climate change and broader sustainability. It aims to lead legal research and build capacity to strengthen the contribution of international investment law toward sustainable development and analyse the mplementation of trade, investment, and financial law regimes, including innovative legal practices and recent disputes related to sustainable banking, energy, aviation. Utilising research, the project also seeks to build capacity on the concept of the global green economy, especially how national and international law facilitates the transition to a greener, carbon neutral, biological diverse economy and how such instruments interact with existing international social, environmental, and economic legal frameworks.