2018 AIIB Legal Conference Report

Abstract

On 5 and 6 September 2018, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (aiib) held its second annual Legal Conference at the aiib Headquarters in Beijing, China. The Legal Conference was organized by the aiib’s Office of the General Counsel (ogc) as part of aiib’s second annual Legal Week (3–7 September 2018). The Legal Week was organized around three events: (i) the Legal Conference; (ii) the aiib Law Lecture; and (iii) a series of internal trainings for aiib staff. The Legal Conference and Law Lecture provided a forum to convey the aiib’s multilateral, rule-of-law-based, public service mandate to an influential and engaged external audience. The Legal Conference brought together over 80 conference participants, drawn from more than 20 different international organizations (IOs), to examine the role of IOs in promoting effective dispute resolution. Participants also included distinguished international law practitioners and eminent academics. Contributing to the interesting and engaging panel discussions were participants from the highest levels of IOs as well as representatives of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Dubai International Financial Centre Dispute Resolution Authority, International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration and London Court of Arbitration. Over two days, five panels, each chaired by a member of aiib ogc’s management team, addressed the following topics: (i) potential of dispute resolution to drive development; (ii) development of dispute resolution through international arbitration; (iii) emergence of modern procedures intended to enhance the effectiveness of dispute resolution; (iv) challenges faced by the wide range of dispute resolution facilities afforded by IOs; and (v) consequences to dispute resolution of the international legal status possessed by IOs.