In his opening remarks, Mr. Thomas Clark, general counsel of ADB, highlighted the significance of this conference in convening key government officials, policy makers, judges, lawyers, private sector, development partners, and international arbitration experts to talk about ways to lift barriers to foreign direct investment (FDI) and international trade in the South Pacific region and Timor-Leste. He discussed ADB’s projects across the Pacific and its Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), which aims to reduce constraints to doing business and spur private sector growth in the region. ADB, through the Office of the General Counsel, also manages a Law and Policy Reform (LPR) Program to modernize legal systems and thereby encourage investment, trade, and commercial activity as well as build the capacity of judicial and legal institutions. Mr. Clark then emphasized that one fundamental reform that the LPR Program is facilitating in the South Pacific region and Timor-Leste is the establishment of an international arbitration legal framework before mentioning the positive developments that have occurred to date.