DUSHANBE, January 20, 2014, Asia-Plus — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expected to hold the 47th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors in the Kazakh capital Astana from May 2-5 this year.
According to ADB’s Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), the theme of the 2014 Annual Meeting is “The Silk Road – Connecting Asia with the Changing World.”
Ideas for a post-2015 development agenda that extends beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will also be discussed, as well as ways for expanding and deepening regional connectivity. Leveraging fiscal policy to promote more inclusive growth and lessons learned from recent financial crises will also be highlighted.
A new ADB study on Asia’s knowledge economies will be presented, with a particular focus on the region’s investments in innovation, internet connectivity technology, education, and vocational training.
A session on public-private partnerships (PPPs) will explore preferred models of PPPs, how to attract private and institutional investors, identify constraints that prevent successful PPPs, and discuss how organizations like ADB can help bridge the “bankability gap.”
About 3,000 participants including finance ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, and representatives from the private sector, academia, media, and civil society are expected to attend.
Annual meetings are statutory occasions for Governors of ADB members to provide guidance on ADB administrative, financial, and operational directions. The meetings provide opportunities for member governments to interact with ADB staff, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), media, and representatives of observer countries, international organizations, academe and the private sector.
Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998 and, to date, the institution has approved total assistance of over $1.2 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country. The 15 years of ADB-Tajikistan partnership has promoted social development, restored and built new infrastructure, expanded agricultural production, and encouraged regional cooperation and trade within the framework of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region.
