Asian Development Bank to Hold 43rd Annual Meeting in Tashkent

ADB is an international development finance institution whose mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people.

Headquartered in Manila, and established in 1966, ADB is owned and financed by its 67 members, of which 48 are from the region and 19 are from other parts of the globe.

ADB's main partners are governments, the private sector, nongovernment organizations, development agencies, community-based organizations, and foundations.

Under Strategy 2020, a long-term strategic framework adopted in 2008, ADB will follow three complementary strategic agendas: inclusive growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

In pursuing its vision, ADB's main instruments comprise loans, technical assistance, grants, advice, and knowledge.

Although most lending is in the public sector - and to governments - ADB also provides direct assistance to private enterprises of developing countries through equity investments, guarantees, and loans. In addition, its triple-A credit rating helps mobilize funds for development.

Article 28 of the ADB Charter vests all the powers of the institution in the Board of Governors, which in turn delegates these powers to the Board of Directors, except for those powers reserved for the Board of Governors in the Charter.

The Board of Governors meets formally once a year in ADB's Annual Meeting.

The Forty-Third Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from Monday, 3 May to Tuesday, 4 May 2010.