ADB Through the Decades: ADB's First Decade (1966-1976)

• Verlag: Asian Development Bank
• Jahr: 2017
• ISBN:
  9789292579142
• Thema: Business
• Thema: Business History

When the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was established in 1966, the Asia and Pacific region was undergoing a process of deep change. Several countries gained independence and a sense of regional identity was emerging. A more organized drive toward modernization started in several countries but the region was still defined by poverty. Feeding people remained a primary concern even while the Green Revolution was under way. The first oil crisis in 1973 led to a worldwide recession and tested many Asian economies. This volume explains how the idea of a regional development bank for Asia emerged and gained support. During its formative years, ADB dealt with a myriad of administrative, organizational, and funding issues in order to establish itself as a sound and credible institution. ADB's first President, Takeshi Watanabe, envisioned ADB's role as Asia's "family doctor." ADB took a pragmatic approach and conducted studies and surveys to acquire a fuller understanding of the region before lending gained momentum in the second half of the decade, focused on energy, transport, agriculture, and finance.

APPENDIXES

Appendix Table A1.1: Key Macroeconomic Indicators, 1966 and 1976

… = data not available, 0.0 = magnitude is less than half of unit employed, FSM = Federated States of Micronesia, GDP = gross domestic product, Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Notes: Where no data are available for the specific year headings, available data for the earliest and/or nearest years are reflected. Aggregates are provided for subregions/region where at least two-thirds of the economies and 80% of the total population are presented.

Sources: ADB. Statistical Database System. http://sdbs.adb.org (accessed 20 January 2017); World Bank. World Development Indicators Database. http://data.worldbank.org (accessed 20 January 2017); ADB estimates.

Appendix Table A1.2: Selected Trade and Social Indicators, 1966 and 1976

= data not available, GDP = gross domestic product, FSM = Federated States of Micronesia, Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Notes: Where no data are available for the specific year headings, available data for the earliest and/or nearest years are reflected.

Sources: ADB. 2016. ADB Key Indicators 2016; ADB. Statistical Database System. http://sdbs.adb.org (accessed 20 January 2017); Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. http://eng.dgbas.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=2 (accessed 8 November 2016); World Bank. World Development Indicators Database. http://data.worldbank.org (accessed 20 January 2017); United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. http://www.childmortality.org (accessed 28 December 2016); ADB estimates.

Appendix Table A2.1: Loan and Technical Assistance Approvals, 1967–1976

– = nil, Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

a Lending operations include loan, grant, equity, and guarantee approvals.

b Technical assistance operations cover grants funded by the Technical Assistance Special Fund.

c As percent of total lending and technical assistance operations.

d “Region” refers to lending or technical assistance to a subregion or a group of member economies within the region, not to any particular economy.

Source: ADB loan, technical assistance, grant, and equity approvals database.

Appendix Table A2.2: Loan and Technical Assistance Approvals by Fund Source, 1967–1976

– = nil, RETA = regional technical assistance, TA = technical assistance.

a Lending operations include loan, grant, equity investment, and guarantee approvals.

b Technical operations only cover grants funded by the TA Special Fund.

c As percent of total TA operations excluding RETA.

d As percent of total TA operations including RETA.

Notes: The top five recipients of Asian Development Fund, ordinary capital resources, and TA are listed in this table. Lending and TA approvals for all other developing member economies are classified as “All Others.”

Source: ADB loan, technical assistance, grant, and equity approvals database.

Key ADB Milestones, 1950s to 1976

Late 1950s to early 1960s	• Discussions begin on the establishment of a possible Asian development bank
1963	• A Private Plan for the Establishment of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is unofficially issued
	• The first ministerial conference on Asian Economic Cooperation is held under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) in Manila with a resolution passed endorsing a proposal to establish a regional bank for Asia
1964	• A working group is established to work on the idea of an Asian Development Bank, completing its report in October
1965	• A draft agreement establishing ADB is adopted at the second ECAFE ministerial conference (29 November to 2 December) after both Japan and the United States (US) express support
	• Members decide on Manila as the head office of ADB, and 22 governments sign the ADB Charter (another nine countries will sign before the prescribed deadline of 31 January 1966)
1966	• The agreement establishing ADB is ratified (22 August) by 31 founding members • The inaugural meeting of ADB's Board of Governors is held on 24-26 November in Tokyo, Japan; Takeshi ...