ADB, led by its Central Operations Services Office (COSO), organized the first ever MDBs' Portfolio Management Forum in February 2012 with a focus on sovereign portfolio. During the forum, COSO gave a presentation on the analysis of the nonsovereign portfolio. All participants agreed any future forum should include particular sessions on nonsovereign portfolio management matters.

The objectives of the first forum were to:

• share portfolio management methods and procedures among multilateral banks
• identify common issues for discussion and ‘common solution'
• identify good practice and opportunities to harmonize aspects of our work

Participants:

• African Development Bank (AfDB),
• Asian Development Bank (ADB),
• Inter-American Development Bank (IADB),
• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and World Bank (WB)

(Invitations were also sent to IFAD and Caribbean Development Bank)

Amir Ghani, Islamic Development Bank portfolio management expert, said the forum provided a platform for candid discussions on common issues facing each institution in the management of project portfolio.

The next MDB portfolio management forum, tentatively scheduled in 2013, is to be arranged by IADB.