Asian Development Bank, ADB

History
Asian Development Bank was envisioned in the course
of the post war rehabilitation & reconstruction efforts
of early 1960s. The vision was of a financial institution
that would be Asian in character & promote economic
growth & cooperation in the area - then one of the
poorest in the world.
A resolution was passed at the 1st Ministerial
Conference on Asian Economic Cooperation held by
United Nations Economic Commission for Asia & the
Far East in the year 1963 that set that vision on the
way to becoming reality.
Overview
Since its origin in 1966, Asian Development Bank has
been driven by a dedication and inspiration to
improving lives of people in Asia & the Pacific. By
targeting our investments shrewdly, in joint venture
with our developing member countries & stakeholders,
we can assuage poverty & help create a world in which
everybody can share in the benefits of inclusive and
sustained growth.
The main devices for assistance are:
Loans
Policy dialogue
Grants
Equity investments
Technical assistance
Into the 21st century
A new focus has been laid by ADB on helping its
developing members accomplish the Millennium
Development Goals & making development more
successful. In the year 2003, a severe acute respiratory
syndrome epidemic hit the region, making it apparent
that fighting contagious diseases requires regional
cooperation. Asian Development Bank began providing
support at regional and national levels to assist
countries so that they could more efficiently respond to
avian influenza & the growing threat of AIDS/HIV.
Asian Development Bank also had to respond to
unparalleled natural disasters, entrusting more than
$850 million for revival in areas of Indonesia, India, Sri
Lanka and Maldives hit by the Dec 2004 Asian
Tsunami. Additionally, a $1 billion line of support to
help victims of the Oct 2005 earthquake in Pakistan
was set up.
In the year 2008, the Board of Directors of Asian
Development Bank approved Strategy 2020: The Long -
Term Strategic Framework of Asian Development Bank
2008 - 2020, a policy document steering its operations
to the year 2020.
In the year 2009, the Board of Governors of Asian
Development Bank agreed to triple the capital base of
Asian Development Bank from $ 55 billion to $ 165
billion, giving it much wanted resources to react to the
global economic crisis. The increase of 200% is the
largest in history of Asian Development Bank, and the
1st since the 1994 100 % capital increase.