Latest News
ADB’s LPR Program Supports Tashkent Law Spring Forum with Expertise and Engagement
The Law and Policy Reform (LPR) Program at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported the Fourth International Legal Forum "Tashkent Law Spring" convened on 29-30 May 2025, organized by Uzbekistan Ministry of Justice with contributions from various partners.
On May 27-28, 2025, ADB’s Law and Policy Reform (LPR) Program organized a transformative two-day training program titled "Developing Innovative Business Models with AI in Uzbekistan" in Tashkent. Organized in collaboration with the Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship, the event brought together stakeholders from government, academia, industry leaders, and tech sector experts to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving Uzbekistan's digital transformation.
On 28-29 May, ADB General Counsel Thomas M. Clark and ADB Institute (ADBI) Dean Bambang Brodjonegoro welcomed participants to the launch of the Carbon Markets Webinar Series, a capacity building workshop developed by the ADB Office of the General Counsel’s Law and Policy Reform Program in collaboration with ADBI.
In partnership with Timorese police, ADB trained 119 police officers to improve the treatment of women and children participating in police investigations. ADB experts taught the proper use ADB-donated digital recorders, trauma-sensitive questioning, and applicable legal and socio-cultural protocols to the police officers, enabling them to obtain admissible testimony with the least amount of distress to survivors and witnesses. A key part of ADB’s broader support to justice-sector reform in Timor-Leste, this initiative aims to improve access to justice and safeguard vulnerable voices.
Fiji is drafting a new forestry bill to replace its 1992 Forest Act—modernizing the law to provide more holistic protection to forests. With ADB’s Law and Policy Reform Program, Fijian officials are working to align the draft with domestic and international commitments, including the Climate Change Act 2021 and the Paris Agreement, and with stakeholders’ needs. In May 2025, the Ministry of Forestry and ADB held stakeholder consultations, allowing affected communities, traditional landowners, and others to inform the final version before it reaches Parliament.
Upcoming Event
ADB-ADBI Carbon Markets Webinar Series
Carbon markets are increasingly being recognized as a pivotal mechanism to mobilize finance to drive innovative solutions to increase resilience and economic growth for emerging economies and developing countries. Public sector finance alone is insufficient to close the massive finance gap, making private sector capital essential.