Search

This paper examines how governance actors in regional business systems engage with foreign-owned multinational corporations which are present within their territory, in attempts to retain investment and link their regions to global production networks. This is done through a qualitative analysis of policy and practice in six sub-national regions in three advanced industrialized economies (Canada, Spain and the UK), thus permitting both international and intra-national comparisons. We find that while there are broad similarities in the types of governance mechanisms used, there are notable differences in the extent and intensity of forms of market, state and associational governance of foreign direct investment. These differences partly correspond to broader institutional differences in the nature of business systems, and partly to the socio-political construction of sub-national governance space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several regional integration and globalization processes have arisen in recent years and have produced a real change in foreign investment policies in developing countries, in general due to the necessity of attracting foreign inflows and the advantages these inflows bring. This is the reason why Colombia, in the decade of the 90's, implemented important constitutional and legislative amendments and started to negotiate several International Investment Agreements (IIAs). In light of this reality, this paper intends to analyze the main Colombian and Canadian provisions for negotiation and ratification in a bilateral investment treaty between the parties that dynamizes the Colombian economy through facilitating its access to an important country like Canada and ensuring the conditions for Canadian investors in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]