ADB's annual meeting to focus on development goals

MANILA, Philippines: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has opened online media registration for the 47th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors, to be held at the Palace of Independence in Astana, Kazakhstan from May 2-5.

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 will also be discussed and ways to expand 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.

The seminar will review a new index designed to measure creativity and productivity in Asia, and provide specific recommendations for strengthening knowledge economies in the People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.

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 organisations such as the 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.

Continuing efforts are being placed on enhancing the positive aspects of the social, economic, and environment and overall sustainable impact of ADB's Annual Meeting. Media participation is by invitation only. Media who wish to be accredited can apply online. Online registration will remain open until April 20. Accredited media will have access to all major Annual Meeting events, including seminars.