Navigating the Path to Dispute Prevention and Early Resolution in Infrastructure Development Projects

Abstract: This paper presents an initial exploration of how multilateral development banks including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are advancing community-investor dispute prevention and facilitation mechanisms over time. In the 20 years since the development of the first multilateral community-investor dispute resolution mechanism – developed by the International Finance Centre/World Bank – much has been learned about public facilitation, community engagement and dispute prevention during the early stages of major infrastructure development programs. This paper will explore these initial findings.

Drawing on a case-based methodology, the presentation will explore the achievements, challenges and lessons learned in community-investor dispute prevention and resolution for major infrastructure projects with a view to providing relevant recommendations from a devolved collaboration perspective.

Keywords: dispute prevention; mitigation; infrastructure disputes; community consultation; stakeholder engagement