The Asian Development Bank was established in 1966 through a multilateral agreement ratified by 31 members. ADB’s current membership totals 63 of which 45 are in Asia and the Pacific. ADB has its headquarters in the Philippines and offices worldwide including resident missions in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam. ADB also maintains a country office in the Philippines; a regional mission for the South Pacific in Vanuatu; and a special office in Timor-Leste. It has representative offices for Europe in Frankfurt, Germany; for Japan in Tokyo; and for North America in Washington, DC, United States. There is a subregional office for the Pacific in Suva, Fiji Islands and a liaison and coordination office for the Pacific in Sydney, Australia.
ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific free of poverty with better living conditions and quality of life for all its inhabitants. The strategic agenda focuses on pro-poor, sustainable economic growth; inclusive social development; and governance for effective policies and institutions with thematic priorities of capacity development, environmental sustainability, gender and development, private sector development, and regional cooperation and integration (for more on ADB, see www.adb.org).