The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today released the third edition of its annual publication, Together We Deliver: 50 Stories of Partnerships in Asia and the Pacific, celebrating the role of partnerships and showcasing specific ADB support in aiding the region’s rise from poverty to a new era of prosperity.
This special commemorative edition of Together We Deliver is part of ADB’s activities to mark its 50th anniversary and is a sister publication of its recently published history book, Banking on the Future of Asia and the Pacific: 50 Years of the Asian Development Bank. ADB President Takehiko Nakao said: “The collection of stories shows concrete examples of how ADB has worked with its government, civil society, private sector, and other partners to help the region tackle sweeping challenges including extreme poverty, huge infrastructure gaps, inadequate health and education services, financial crises, and disasters.”
“These stories highlight the importance of good partnerships in meeting the complex development challenges of our dynamic region and acknowledge the tremendous progress made in all our developing member countries over the last five decades,” said Indu Bhushan, Director General of ADB’s Strategy, Policy and Review Department. “Over the past 50 years, ADB has evolved and improved to respond to the changing needs and circumstances of our members, and we will continue to do so over the next 50.”
Since its establishment in 1966, ADB and its partners have supported thousands of projects and programs that have benefited millions of people in the region, and the stories capture the breadth and depth of their joint work. By the end of 2016 ADB had provided more than $267 billion in assistance to the region.
In Central Asia, ADB has supported economies to rebuild and modernize in the wake of war and the collapse of the former Soviet Union. ADB was one of the first organizations to return to Afghanistan in 2002, for example, and its support for reconstruction includes helping the country build sustainable infrastructure.
In East Asia, ADB has helped the People’s Republic of China (PRC) tackle major pollution problems and shift to a greener energy and growth path.
In the Pacific, home to some of the world’s most isolated and vulnerable nations, ADB and its partners have worked to build resilience to economic and climate change-related shocks and to improve connectivity. ADB has designed innovative financing solutions, such as contingent lines of credit for the Cook Islands, which can be accessed quickly to support emergency responses to natural hazards.
In South Asia, ADB has supported infrastructure development and social programs, helping lift people out of poverty in a diverse, rapidly urbanizing subregion that includes both least developed countries, such as Nepal, as well as one of the world’s fastest growing economies — India.
In Southeast Asia, ADB has worked to build links amongst countries once locked in conflict, with enhanced cooperation, including cross-border economic corridors, benefiting all. ADB’s programs have linked some of the largest economies in the region, such as Thailand, with some of the smallest, such as Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
The stories cover the major cross-cutting issues that go beyond borders and guide all of ADB’s work — including good governance, regional cooperation, gender equality, partnerships with the private sector and civil society, knowledge sharing, disaster risk management, and cofinancing.
While looking back, the publication also highlights the challenges ahead, such as climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals, which will require continued collaboration between ADB and its partners, with the private sector expected to play an increasingly important role.
