News
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.
ADB Launches Training on FDI Legal Framework and Domestic Policymaking Towards Green Economic Transition
On 25-29 August 2025, ADB's Law and Policy Reform Program, in partnership with the Uzbekistan Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, convened government officials across multiple ministries mandated to drive policy change. They participated in an intensive workshop to familiarize themselves with the legal framework for FDI critical for the green economic transition, as well as its interaction with domestic policymaking to enable them to contribute more effectively to reform process and help mitigate dispute risk for the government.
ADB and ADBI Hold Third and Final Workshop in the Carbon Markets Webinar Series, on Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Attracting Financing
On 1 August 2025, the ADB Office of the General Counsel and the ADB Institute hosted the final webinar in the Carbon Markets Series, which focused on developing legal and regulatory frameworks. Attended by 35 participants, the session explored key elements for building effective carbon markets, managing risks and opportunities, and attracting financing. In particular, presentations highlighted private sector considerations for investing—for instance, market feasibility and safeguards against greenwashing—and the importance of integrity in climate-related disclosures.
ADB and ADBI Hold Second Workshop in Carbon Markets Webinar Series, Focusing on Safeguards, Community Protection, and Benefit Sharing
On 3 July 2025, the ADB Law and Policy Reform Program and the ADB Institute hosted a webinar entitled "Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Equitable and Sustainable Carbon Credit Implementation," the second workshop in the 3-part Carbon Markets Webinar Series.
ADB and ADBI launch Carbon Markets Webinar Series to Support Policymakers and Public Sector Stakeholders on Legal and Policy Carbon Markets Infrastructure Development
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.
ADB Supports Interministerial Consultations on Fiji’s Draft Carbon Market Regulations
On 13 May 2025, Fijian government ministries convened to review the draft carbon market regulations that will guide the country’s future engagements with the international carbon market. ADB legal experts helped organize the sessions and impressed upon the participants the importance of setting the boundaries of government oversight and improving intragovernmental coordination, key steps toward fostering investor confidence, and ensuring effective implementation.
ADB Enhances Cambodian Firms’ Capacity to Navigate International Trade Ahead of the Country’s Graduation from Least Developed Country Status
Cambodia’s upcoming graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status will open the door to new global market opportunities—and tougher competition. In April, ADB, UNCTAD, and Cambodian trade agencies trained over 180 participants from the Cambodian public and private sector on how to leverage rules of origin and preferential trade regimes to promote Cambodian goods, and on how to better navigate the global economy.
Luxembourg Lauds ADB’s Impactful Islamic Finance for the Philippines Technical Assistance
The Luxembourg government commended the Islamic Finance for the Philippines Technical Assistance (TA) as a model initiative in a meeting with representatives of ADB and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on 10 April 2025. This USD 1.1 million TA, implemented from 2017 to 2024, has achieved significant milestones. Key accomplishments include the enactment of Republic Act No. 11439 (the Islamic Banking Law), the issuance of a USD 1 billion sovereign sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai, training of over 1,700 professionals, and licensing of Islamic banking and insurance providers.
ADB Partners with Uzbekistan Supreme Court Towards Investor-Friendly Commercial Dispute Resolution Ecosystem
On 28 March 2025, ADB and the Uzbekistan Supreme Court held a ceremony to mark the successful conclusion of a two-year judicial capacity-building program and the handover of 295 copies of the International Commercial Arbitration Handbook for Judges to be distributed to all economic court judges nationwide.
ADB Principal Counsel Nicholas Moller Speaks About His Career in Insolvency, on the INSOL Talks Podcast
On this episode of INSOL talks, Nicholas shares his perspectives on the insolvency systems in Asia - with its diverse legal, economic, and cultural landscapes - and his reflections on the career path that led him to ADB and law and policy reform work. Check out the podcast now!