ABSTRACT
All the proposals without exception are based on the hypothesis that capital transfers in the form of direct investment abroad are essential if the international division of labour is to be intensified and to yield benefits for all those involved. The alleged shortcomings of guarantees granted by national institutions provided another important justification for the proposals. The earlier plans and proposals for the creation of multilateral investment insurance schemes can be traced back primarily to the discrepancy between the ability to export capital in the form of private investment and the scope for protecting it against risks, for the most part those of a political nature. Regional proposals for a multilateral scheme have been discussed within the European Communities and the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank. The large number of proposals and the discussions about them contrast markedly with the record of implementation.
