The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is organising a conference in Paris on 7/8 February on Foreign Direct Investment and the Environment which will focus on the mining sector, which is of particular importance for many developing countries and which has frequently given rise to environmental concerns. The conference will also discuss broader lessons relating to FDI and the environment linkages. It will be structured around three main issues: 1) Environmental performance of foreign investors in the mining sector; 2) Policy/institutional frameworks that integrate environmental and investment goals; and 3) Ways of encouraging "best environmental practice" through the OECD's recently revised Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and other voluntary commitments by the private sector.