ADB Law and Policy Reform Program and ADB Institute Form Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Cross-Border Dispute Resolution
On 9–12 September 2025 in Tokyo, ADB Institute and ADB’s Law and Policy Reform Program conducted a skills-based training focused on international mediation and the Singapore Convention for government officials across Asia and the Pacific, as well as representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, as part of the ADBI–ADB Alternative Dispute Resolution Education Program.
The training program aimed to strengthen regional capacity in alternative dispute resolution, in particular, mediation, and to encourage the signing and ratification of the Singapore Convention on Mediation by Asia and the Pacific countries. Mediation is gaining prominence in resolving international trade and investment disputes to reduce uncertainty and build trust amidst geopolitical tensions.
Participants engaged in lectures, case studies, and role plays on negotiation, mediation models, investment disputes, treaty negotiations, and mediation practices, led by experts from ADB, ADBI, UNCITRAL, ICSID, Korea International Mediation Centre, Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy and Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers. Distinguished mediation practitioners Rajesh Sharma and Anne Sutherland served as lead lecturers and helped design the training program. The event concluded with a policy dialogue where country representatives shared perspectives on national mediation frameworks, readiness for the Singapore Convention and areas for international cooperation.
This training marked the culmination of a broader initiative that began with a Policy Dialogue on Alternative Dispute Resolution in February 2025 in Tokyo, continued with an E-Learning course from 14 July to 18 August 2025, and concluded with this in-person mediation training program on 9-12 September 2025. The sequence underscored ADBI and ADB’s strong commitment to advancing ADR mechanisms to facilitate international trade and investment and foster deeper regional cooperation.
Further activities are being planned by ADB LPR Program and ADB Institute to strengthen cross-border dispute resolution to support sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific.
For Photos: ADBI-ADB Alternative Dispute Resolution Education Program | Flickr