The Invisible Infrastructure: Surveying Development’s Legal Landscape
The opening session of Law, Justice and Development (LJD) Week 2025 explored how legal knowledge, regulatory reforms, and strong institutions can drive meaningful development outcomes.
In a rapidly evolving world, the law acts as an innovative mechanism to support necessary reforms that unlock greater development impact. Often described as an "invisible infrastructure," laws and regulations set the "rules of the game" that encourage private sector investment, generate jobs, and promote development.
Session Highlights
This session focused on the role of legal and regulatory reforms alongside effective institutions in facilitating development progress.
“As an ‘invisible infrastructure,’ the law and regulations serve as ‘rules of the game’ to help spur private sector investment, create jobs, and drive development.”
Participants included Christopher Stephens, Senior Vice President and World Bank Group General Counsel, and Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships, who joined in a fireside conversation to open LJD Week 2025.
Additional Information
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Return to the main LJD Week event website for more details.
Legal frameworks and regulatory reforms form essential but often unseen foundations for fostering sustainable development worldwide.