News
ADB, ADBI and ILI Advance Toolkit to Unlock Smallholder Finance
On 8–9 July 2026, ADB, together with ADB Institute (ADBI) and International Law Institute, convened a policy dialogue in Tokyo to refine the Asia Pacific Agricultural Finance Toolkit, a new resource designed to expand private finance for smallholder farmers.
ADB and WJP Navigate the Legal Dimensions of Air Quality Governance with Philippine Policymakers
ADB’s Law and Policy Reform (LPR) Program and the World Justice Project (WJP) are currently conducting a series of government consultations with environmental policymakers in the Philippines. Representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), were in attendance, notably from its Air Quality Management Section, Climate Change Service, Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Service (ELEPS), and Legal Affairs Service.
ADB Training Boosts Cross-Border Mediation Capacity in Armenia
ADB Training Boosts Cross-Border Mediation Capacity in Armenia On 27–28 June 2026 in Yerevan, ADB's Law and Policy Reform Program and Armenia Resident Mission, in partnership with Armenia’s Ministry of Justice, delivered a two-day mediation training to strengthen alternative dispute resolution as part of ongoing justice sector reforms to reduce court backlogs, preserve business relationships and boost international investor confidence.
Unlocking Trade Finance for MSMEs and SMEs with Negotiable Cargo Documents
On 23 June 2026, through its Law and Policy Reform Program and in partnership with the UNCITRAL Secretariat, ADB examined the Convention’s implications. Ben Sandstad, ADB Unit Head for Trade and Supply Chain (Legal), delivered opening remarks, and Angelia Chia, Senior Counsel, moderated the discussion. Yanying Li, Legal Officer at UNCITRAL, briefed ADB staff on how the Convention works in practice and what it means for trade finance.
ADB Supports Integration of Environmental Law into Cambodian Judicial Education
On 28 May 2026, the Royal Academy for Justice of Cambodia (RAJC) launched its inaugural training program on environmental law for judge trainees. The program is anchored by a comprehensive curriculum developed and tested with the support of ADB. With this launch, the RAJC assumes full ownership of the environmental law training program, independently and sustainably preparing judges to adjudicate environmental cases.
ADB Strengthens Capacity of Sri Lankan Judges on Commercial Dispute Resolution
From January to May 2026, ADB’s Law and Policy Reform Program, in partnership with the Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute (SLJI), trained more than 110 district court judges and magistrates to strengthen commercial dispute resolution critical in Sri Lanka.
ADB Launches Digital Carbon Markets Legal Toolkit
On 18 May 2026, the Asian Development Bank launched the Digital Carbon Markets Legal Toolkit, a companion tool to its Legal Blueprint for Developing and Regulating Carbon Markets, published in July 2025.
ADB, ADBI and ILI lead consultations on Asia Pacific Agricultural Finance Toolkit
On 21-30 April, ADB convened workshops in the Philippines, Cambodia, Nepal, and Bhutan to shape the Asia Pacific Agricultural Finance Toolkit.
ADB and ADB Institute Conduct Policy Dialogue on Institutionalizing Mediation and Strengthening ISDS Management Systems
ADB's Law and Policy Reform Program and ADB Institute convened the Second Alternative Dispute Resolution Policy Dialogue, focusing on institutionalizing mediation and strengthening investor-state dispute settlement management system on April 20-22, 2026 in Tokyo.
ADB Launches Investment Governance Program in Mongolia
On 23–25 March 2026, the Asian Development Bank led consultations in Mongolia on strengthening investor confidence and the country’s investment environment.