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Dear Members of World Investment Network, It is my pleasure to share with you UNCTAD's seventh Investment Policy Monitor. The new Monitor finds that at least 19 countries introduced new national policy measures related to investment in the review period (September 2011 - January 2012). Investment policies were generally favourable to foreign investment. At the same time, there was an increase in regulatory activities affecting investment particularly in the mining sector and with regard to competition issues. Numerous countries also modified their corporate taxation rules with some countries increasing taxes and others reducing them. Also, during the review period, 25 new international investment agreements were concluded. Venezuela denounced its membership in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and leaders at the G20 Summit in Cannes reaffirmed their commitment to refrain from raising barriers or imposing new barriers to investment. UNCTAD’s Investment Policy Monitor is a regular publication that provides the international investment community with country-specific, up-to-date information about the latest developments in foreign investment policies, both at the national and international level. Let me take this opportunity to remind you of UNCTAD’s upcoming World Investment Forum (WIF), to be held in Doha, Qatar, 20-23 April 2012, in conjunction with the UNCTAD Ministerial Conference. The biennial Forum provides a unique platform to interact with global leaders, senior policymakers, corporate executives, investors and investment promotion agencies from countries round the world. So far, senior participants from over 80 countries have pre-registered. For more information about the program and registration, please visit our website: www.unctad-worldinvestmentforum.org. With best regards, James X. Zhan Director Investment & Enterprise Division United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Palais des Nations, Geneva Tel: +41 22 9175797 www.unctad.org/diae wir