Abstract
Over the past decade, international investment agreements (IIAs) have undergone significant reforms, addressing longstanding concerns within the investment treaty regime and marking a shift from traditional protectionist models to frameworks emphasizing investment promotion and facilitation. This evolution seeks to mitigate regulatory chill, attract and retain investment, and enable governments to implement policies that support sustainable development. Nonetheless, doubts remain as to their effectiveness in achieving concrete sustainable development outcomes. International investment law is also witnessing a rise in standalone Investment Facilitation Agreements (IFAs), such as the World Trade Organization’s Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement and the European Union–Angola Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (EU-Angola SIFA). Unlike traditional IIAs, IFAs aim at improving host States’ investment climate by prioritizing transparency, streamlining procedures, stakeholders dialogue, and inter-State cooperation. The EU–Angola SIFA sets a precedent for this new approach, expressly focused on sustainability and serves as a model for future EU cooperation frameworks. By examining this approach, this paper seeks to contribute to discussions on the evolution of international investment law in ways that better align with sustainable development objectives.