ADB launches 15-year strategy to eradicate poverty in Asia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a 15-year strategy designed to eradicate poverty in the region, with emphasis on selective investments, environment-friendly programs and greater private sector participation.

The program is outlined in its long-term strategic framework (LTSF), a major reassessment of ADB’s goals and policies that two years ago resulted in the realization that extreme poverty for one in four Asians was "an unacceptable human condition."

"ADB has chosen a 15-year timeframe, because it correlates with the framework integrated its new strategy with the international development goals (IDGs), seven broad benchmarks for reducing poverty worldwide by 2015 resulting from a series of United Nations-sponsored world conferences during the past decade.

The seven goals are: (a) to reduce the incidence of extreme poverty by half between 1990 and 2015; (b) achieve 100-percent primary school enrolment by 2015; (c) eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005; (d) reduce infant and child mortality by two thirds between1990 and 2015; (e) reduce maternal mortality ratios by three quarters between1990 and 2015; (f) expand access to reproductive health services to all women by 2015; and (g) implement in all countries a national sustainable development strategy by 2005 and to reverse the loss of environmental resources by 2015.

"The bank has been playing, and will continue to play, a large role in helping its developing member countries to reach these goals," says Shoji Nishimoto, director of the bank’s strategy and policy department. He said they will need the cooperation of other international institutions, governments of clients states and their respective private sectors.

"The development challenges of the region are far beyond the capacities of any one institution," Nishimoto said. "the LTSF will enable us to be selective in our investments and to take a long-term approach to focus our resources on the things we do best, and to be more efficient in our operations."

Greater selectivity in operations will be accompanied by a much stronger country and client focus, and this will be achieved through stronger country leadership and ownership of the development agenda.

Nishimoto identified the following core areas of intervention: sustainable economic growth for broad-based, growth-promoting activities that promote socially and environmentally responsible development; inclusive social development for investments in social support programs and for equity and empowerment, especially for women and disadvantaged groups; governance for effective policies and institutions for public sector management; legal and judicial reform; public accountability, and procedures to give stakeholders more effective participation in decision-making.

Three crosscutting themes complement the areas of intervention. One theme is promoting the role of the private sector in development, including the mobilization of private sector resources to address the challenges of development.

Another theme is supporting regional cooperation and integration for development while providing wider development options, address-shared problems and pool information.

The third theme addresses environmental sustainability by putting environmental considerations in the forefront of development planning. It will also seek to reverse the environmental degradation and damage.