Bassan provides a remarkable compendium on the relevant laws, regulations, and standards affecting sovereign wealth funds. These institutions are now at the very centre of the global financial system and demand greater appreciation of their distinctive qualities as well as their likely implications for nation-states and the global economy. Bassan s book is a unique contribution to understanding the governance and regulation of these institutions and will be an important resource book for those who must grapple with the growing power and global scope of these institutions. Gordon L. Clark, University of Oxford, UK and Monash University, Australia This book covers a true vacuum in international legal literature thanks to its multi-facet in-depth analysis of SWFs, a new type of protagonists of transnational investments in the global economy. It analyses critically the various approaches put forth to pinpoint real nature, legal set-up, relevant features in the diverse operating activity of SWF in the perspective of addressing the issue of the most appropriate regulation that would ensure two apparently conflicting goals: the protection of SWF investments and of host states legitimate concerns for vital national political or economic interests and the diverse activities. On this basis, the author reviews the various international hard and soft law regulations proposed and the relevance of existing disciplines including Bilateral Investment Treaties. The full coverage of the issue of sovereign immunity in respect of SWF is a useful completion of the author s analysis. Giorgio Sacerdoti, Bocconi University, Italy This book provides a definition and classification for Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) and discusses its phenomenon within the legal context. It identifies the rules applicable to SWFs and focuses on the bilateral relationships between states. In eight extensive chapters, Fabio Bassan considers whether SWFs may enjoy immunity with respect to host state measures as well as protection in Bilateral Investment Treaties Written from an international law perspective, The Law of Sovereign Wealth Funds will appeal to students of international business, international organizations, banks and governments.

Research on the role of sovereign investments in a time of crisis is still unsatisfactory. This Research Handbook illustrates the state of the art of the legal investigation on sovereign investments, filling necessary gaps in previous research. Current

Sovereign wealth funds are a growing and dynamic force in international finance. This is the first book to compile a history of sovereign wealth funds, recounting the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's involvement with the scandal-plagued BCCI bank and Chinese arms exports to Iran. In a straightforward and accessible style, the author examines the complex and amazing growth of an unknown group of investors controlling trillions of dollars worldwide.

This study examines the role of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in the global economy and financial system. Sovereign wealth funds are not a new phenomenon in international finance. Governments of a few countries have used similar entities to manage their international financial assets for several decades. Moreover, countries have always held international reserves, and government-owned entities have made cross-border investments for many years. Sovereign wealth funds or their equivalent pose profound issues for the countries that own them with respect to macroeconomic policy and the potential for corruption. They also raise issues for countries that receive SWF investments as well as for the international financial system as a whole because government ownership introduces potential political and economic power issues into the management of these cross-border assets. This study traces the origins of SWFs. It describes the issues raised by these large governmental holdings of cross-border assets for the countries that own them, for the host countries, and for the international financial system. The study lays out what is known about the 50-plus SWFs of various countries. Some countries have more than one such entity, and a sample of government-managed pension funds is included in this analysis because they raise most of the same basic policy issues. Using publicly available information that is provided on a systematic basis, the author has previously developed a "scoreboard" for these funds involving a number of elements grouped in four categories: structure, governance, transparency and accountability, and behavioral rules. The 2008 edition contributed to the development of a set of generally accepted principles and practices, the Santiago Principles, for SWFs by the International Working Group operating under the auspices of the International Monetary Fund. This publication presents an updated scoreboard for an expanded list of funds, evaluates the Santiago Principles, and examines current compliance with those principles. The study also examines the policies of recipient countries and the role of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) investment codes. Finally, the study discusses the evolving role of SWFs in the context of the global economic and financial crisis and its aftermath and will make recommendations for the policies of countries both managing such funds and those that expect to receive investments from them in the future.

Foreign investors in U.S. companies or assets include individuals, companies, and government entities. One type of foreign investor that has been increasingly active in world markets is sovereign wealth funds (SWF), government-controlled funds that seek to invest in other countries. As the activities of these funds have grown, they have been praised as providing valuable capital to world markets, but questions have been raised about their lack of transparency and the potential impact of their investments on recipient countries. This report reviews: (1) U.S. laws that specifically affect foreign investment, including that by SWFs, in the U.S.; and (2) processes agencies use to enforce them. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

This paper presents in a systematic (normative) manner the salient features of a SWF‘s governance structure, in relation to its objectives and investment management that can ensure its efficient operation and enhance its financial performance. In this context, it distinguishes among the various governing bodies and analyzes key aspects of the investment policy and setting of the risk tolerance level in order to ensure consistent risk-bearing capacity and greater accountability. Further, it discusses the important role of SWFs in macroeconomic management and the need for close coordination with other macroeconomic and financial policies as well as their role in global financial stability.

This book explores three particular strategies in the extractives sector for creating shared wealth, increased labour opportunities and positive social, environmental and economic outcomes from corporate projects, namely: state wealth funds (SWF), local content policies (LCP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Collectively, the chapters explore the associated experiences and challenges in different parts of the world with the view to inform equitable and sustainable development for the communities living adjacent to extractives sites and the wider society and environment. Examples of LCPs, SWFs and CSR practices from 12 jurisdictions with diverse experiences offer usefull insights. The book illuminates challenges and opportunities for sustainable development outcomes of the extractives sector. It reflects the need to take on board the lessons of these global experiences in order to improve outcomes for poverty reduction, inequality reduction and sustainable development.

Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) represent both an increasingly important - and potentially dominant - category of alternative investor, and a novel form for governments to project their interests both home and abroad. As such, they represent both economic actors and embody power vested in the financial and diplomatic resources they can leverage. Although at times they have acted in concert with other alternative investors, their intergenerational savings function should, in theory at least, promote more long-termist thinking. However, they may be impelled in towards greater short termism, in response to popular pressures, demands from predatory elites and/or unforeseen external shocks. Of all the categories of alternative investment, SWFs perhaps embody the most contradictory pressures, making for diverse and complex outcomes. The aim of this volume is to consolidate the present state of the art, and advance the field through new applied, conceptual and theoretical insights. The volume is ordered into chapters that explore thematic issues and country studies, incorporating novel insights in on the most recent developments in the SWF ecosystem. This handbook is organized into four sections and 23 chapters. The four sections are: Governance of SWFs, Political and Legal Aspects of SWFs, Investment Choices and Structures of SWFs, Country and Regional Analyses of SWFs.

In this comprehensive look at Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs)--state investment vehicles based on balance of payment surpluses--the authors explain how SWFs impact the world and the balance of economic power.