Asian leaders to focus on inclusive growth at ADB’s 45th annual meeting

Manila, Philippines (BBN)– Ministers and senior government officials, business leaders, fellow international financial institutions, and civil society representatives are set to gather in Manila, Philippines from May 2-5 for the 45th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which will focus on inclusive growth through better governance and partnerships.

The anticipated 4,000 participants, including global media, will discuss challenges and opportunities to ensure future growth reaches all members of society in Asia and the Pacific, where impressive economic forecasts often mask the reality that the region is still home to the majority of the world’s poor.

The 45th Annual Meeting starts on 2 May, alongside a gathering of finance ministers and other officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Japan, and Republic of Korea, or ASEAN+3, the ADB said on Monday.

This year’s Governors’ Seminar will explore How Can Asia Respond to the Global Economic Crisis and Transformation, and feature ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda and Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs. Along with top finance officials from the Philippines, Japan, India and the PRC, they will discuss what Asia must do to both weather and help resolve the global economic downturn, as well as how suggested policy reforms and economic rebalancing may affect poverty, inequality, employment and the environment.

On May 2, Iokibe Makoto, chair of Japan’s post-earthquake/tsunami reconstruction design council, will participate in a “Vulnerable Cities: Waking Up to the Need for Urban Disaster Risk Management” seminar looking at specific tools governments can use to both protect cities and build their resilience. The session will be moderated by the UN’s Assistant Secretary General for Disaster Reduction, Margareta Wahlstrom.

Also on May 3, Mr. Sachs, IPCC chair Rajendra Pachauri, World Bank Vice-President Pamela Cox will speak about Climate Change and Green Asia.

The Seven Billion and Growing: How will the World Feed Itself? seminar set to take place on May 4 will build on a recent ADB report that found a 10 percent increase in the price of basic food staples could push another 64 million South Asians into poverty. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s Hiroyuki Konuma and agricultural experts from PRC, India and France will discuss how to ensure everyone has enough to eat amid growing demands for food, feed and fuel.

 

BBN/SSR/AD-16Apr12-12:50 pm (BST)