Asian Development Bank to meet in Bali in May 2009

Government leaders – including Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors – as well as representatives from the private sector, academia, media, and civil society groups from around the world will gather in Bali, Indonesia from Saturday, 2 May, to Tuesday, 5 May 2009, for the Forty-second Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

About 3,000 participants are expected to attend the meeting, which will be held at the Bali International Convention Centre (BICC) on Bali, famed for its picturesque Hindu shrines, rice terraces and vibrant arts scene.

The 2009 Annual Meeting will take stock of the progress made under ADB’s Strategy 2020, its Long-Term Strategic Framework for 2008-2020, which was formally adopted in 2008. The strategy puts inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration at the core of ADB’s development and poverty reduction agenda.

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, non-government organizations (NGOs), media, and representatives of observer countries, international organizations, academia and the private sector.