Backing for treaty

THE Department for International Development yesterday came out in favour of a new international treaty to boost overseas investment, saying this could further developing countries' interests. Officials indicated their backing for independent research which concluded that developing countries did not need special protection from multinational investment, and extra safeguards on environmental and labour standards were unnecessary. This will put DFID at sharp odds with aid and environmental charities, which have claimed the planned "Multilateral Agreement on Investment" would harm the third world.

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