DHAKA, July 26, 2018 (BSS) – The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of
Directors has approved a new long-term corporate strategy, Strategy 2030,
that sets out the institution’s broad vision and strategic response to the
evolving needs of Asia and the Pacific.
“Asia and the Pacific have made great progress over the last half century
in poverty reduction and economic growth, but there are unfinished
development agendas,” said ADB President Takehiko Nakao.
“Under Strategy 2030, we will combine finance, knowledge, and
partnerships to sustain our efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and expand
our vision towards a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable
region,” he added.
ADB’s aspirations are aligned with major global commitments such as the
Sustainable Development Goals, the Financing for Development agenda, the
Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction, an ADB press release said.
Given the size of Asia and the Pacific, achieving such commitments will
depend critically on the region’s success.
The release said Strategy 2030 recognises that the ambitious global
development agenda must be tailored to specific local circumstances.
ADB will strengthen its country-focused approach, promote the use of
innovative technologies, and deliver integrated interventions that combine
expertise across a range of sectors and themes and through a mix of public
and private sector operations.
ADB will continue to prioritise support for the region’s poorest and most
vulnerable countries.
It will apply differentiated approaches to meet the diverse needs of
various groups of countries: fragile and conflict-affected situations, small-
island developing states, low-income and lower middle-income countries, and
upper middle-income countries.
Across these country groups, ADB will also prioritise support for lagging
areas and pockets of poverty and fragility.
Infrastructure investments-particularly those that are green,
sustainable, inclusive, and resilient-will remain a key priority. At the same
time, ADB will expand operations in social sectors, such as education,
health, and social protection.
ADB’s support will focus on seven operational priorities: addressing
remaining poverty and reducing inequalities; accelerating progress in gender
equality; tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience,
and enhancing environmental sustainability; making cities more livable;
promoting rural development and food security; strengthening governance and
institutional capacity; and fostering regional cooperation and integration.
At least 75 percent of the number of ADB’s committed operations (on a 3-
year rolling average, including sovereign and nonsovereign operations) will
promote gender equality by 2030.
ADB will ensure that 75 percent of the number of its committed operations
(on a 3-year rolling average, including sovereign and nonsovereign
operations) will be supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation by
2030.
Climate finance from ADB’s own resources will reach US$ 80 billion for
the period 2019 to 2030. A new corporate results framework-expected to be
ready in mid-2019-will include more targets for ADB’s other operational
priorities.
To support the seven operational priorities under Strategy 2030, ADB will
expand and diversify its private sector operations to reach one third of ADB
operations in number by 2024.
“We will expand our private sector operations in new and frontier
markets, such as fragile and conflict-affected situations and small island
developing states. We will also support more public-private partnerships,”
said Nakao.
ADB will continue to be a reliable financier and catalyser of finance.
“A key measure of our success will be the volume and quality of additional
resources we mobilise on top of our own financing,” Nakao added.
ADB targets a substantial increase in long-term co-financing by 2030, with
every US$ 1 in financing for its private sector operations matched by US$
2.50 in long-term co-financing.