Innovation in Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Charters
When: Monday, February 16, 2026, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Where: Online event
Speaker: Natalie Lichtenstein
Innovation in Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Charters: From the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Date: 16 February 2026, 17.00 to 18.00 PM GMT
Venue: Online webinar through Microsoft Teams hosted by Queen Mary University of London
The London Financial Regulation Seminar is an inter-collegiate and inter-disciplinary group of experts led by CCLS and our Institute of Banking and Finance under the leadership of Professor Rosa M. Lastra and Dr. Daniele D’Alvia.
On Monday, the 16th of February, Natalie Lichtenstein will delivered a formal presentation titled “Innovation in MDB Charters: From IBRD to AIIB”. Prof. Rosa M. Lastra chaired the event.
Natalie Lichtenstein is a US lawyer who has specialised in legal issues at international financial institutions, and legal development in China, since the 1970s. She was the inaugural general counsel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and principal drafter of the AIIB Charter. Her work for AIIB drew on her 30-year legal career at the World Bank, where she advised on lending operations in China and other countries for 20 years. During her last decade there, she served in senior positions, specialising in institutional governance issues and reforms. As a young lawyer at the US Treasury Department, she worked on international financial institutions matters and normalization of US-China relations. Ms. Lichtenstein has taught in Chinese Law in the US since the 1980s, and has consulted on Chinese legal development projects. She is an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a member of the advisory board of the Duke-Kunshan University. In addition to her book on the AIIB she is the author of numerous articles in professional journals. She received her AB summa cum laude in East Asian Studies and JD from Harvard University.
The lecture explored how the legal and governance structures of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have evolved from the establishment of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The presentation traced institutional innovations, governance models, and charter design across MDB history. It explored the origins of MDB legal structures and early precedents, the World Bank charter innovations and their legacy, the evolution of governance, finance, and mandates across MDBs, and AIIB as a case study in modern charter innovation, flexibility, and accountability.
Organized by Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Commercial Law Studies