Voting by the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reached the requirement for ratification of a landmark amendment to the Bank’s founding charter that will remove the lending limitation set out in Article 12.1, says press release issued by ADB on November 17. This will enable a 50% increase in lending to more than $36 billion to support developing member countries’ efforts to address critical development priorities in the region.
“I am extremely grateful to all members of the Board of Governors that have voted in favor,” ADB President Masato Kanda said. “This is a historic decision and I appreciate the deep confidence in ADB and in the work we do every day across Asia and the Pacific. Removing this limitation means ADB can now move forward with an ambitious plan to increase our annual financing commitments without placing any burden on our shareholders for a general capital increase, something ADB has not requested since
2009.”
This is the first amendment to the ADB Charter since the institution was created in 1966 and will enter into force three months after ADB officially notifies its members that the amendment has been adopted.
The ADB Charter may be amended only by a resolution of the Board of Governors approved by a vote of two-thirds of the total number of Governors, representing not less than three-fourths of the total voting power of the members. The voting threshold was reached on 14 November with support from 61 members (list below). The voting period remains open until 30 November and additional votes may still be received.
The amendment is part of ADB actions to optimize the use of scarce capital resources provided by shareholders to maximize its support for the poor and vulnerable across the region.
“The removal of the lending limitation is not only about bigger numbers, but what those numbers make possible,” Mr. Kanda said. “It means helping families who are working hard to lift themselves out of poverty. It means expanding opportunities for young people to learn and earn. And it means supporting communities that are vulnerable to shocks so they can stand steadily on their own.”
ADB’s Capital Utilization Plan outlines a pathway for increasing ADB’s annual financing commitments from $24 billion in 2024 to more than $36 billion by 2034. It builds on capital management reforms approved in 2023 that significantly increase ADB’s financing capacity and a series of exposure exchange agreements with other multilateral development banks to mitigate portfolio concentration risk.
These resources will be critical to ADB’s ability to meet its corporate targets for 2030, including its aim to increase private sector financing fourfold to $13 billion a year by 2030 and ensure that 40% of its sovereign operations directly support private-sector development.
42 ADB members, including Tajikistan, voted in support of the amendment as of 14 November 2025,
achieving a total voting power of “For” votes of 75.175%.
ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, the Asian Development Bank is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.
