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Dear World Investment Network colleagues, It is my great pleasure to inform you that the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2011 will be released on 26 July 2011. As in previous years, WIR11 contains chapters on FDI global and regional trends, key policy developments, and a topical theme. The theme this year is “Non-equity Modes of International Production and Development”. The Report presents original, ahead-of-curve analyses on why and how non-equity modes (NEMs) such as contract manufacturing, services outsourcing, contract farming, franchising and licensing are used by TNCs in managing their global value chains. These analyses include an assessment of the drivers behind and the scale and scope of NEMs; the host country determinants of where TNCs establish NEM partnerships and consequent development impact; and the policy implications which arise. The bottom line is that NEMs represent a highly significant “middle way” between FDI and trade which, among others, shapes patterns of international trade and trajectories of development. Within the Report, there are several key elements which merit your attention: · Recent trends in global FDI: FDI flows by industry, components and modes of entry · Regional trends in FDI, including investment patterns in low income countries · Global investment prospects in the short and medium term · State-owned transnational corporations: a unique analysis of their origins, characteristics, investment patterns, and of the concerns arising in host and home countries. · Recent developments in investment policies at the national and international levels · Interaction between industrial and FDI policies · Corporate social responsibility: a systemic analysis To download the current and previous editions of the World Investment Report, please visit our website: www.unctad.org/wir. This year's report will be made available from 26 July 2011, 17:00 hours GMT. I look forward to receiving your feedback on the Report. Best regards, James X. Zhan Team leader, World Investment Report & Director, Investment & Enterprise Division United Nations Conference on Trade & Development Palais des Nations, Geneva Tel: +41 22 9175797 www.unctad.org/diae WIR