How We're Organized
JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
Masatsugu Asakawa is the President of the Asian Development Bank (JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游) and the Chairperson of JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s Board of Directors. He was elected President by JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s Board of Governors and assumed office on 17 January 2020.
President Asakawa meets with international financial institution heads, US and Canadian government officials in Washington DC
During his mission to Washington, DC on 17-22 April 2022, President Masatsugu Asakawa discussed the impact in Asia and the Pacific of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19 pandemic recovery, and climate action in meetings with World Bank President David Malpass, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, and others. He also spoke at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting on 20 April and hosted a meeting of the heads of regional development banks, including African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Inter-American Development Bank, at JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游's North America Representative Office on 22 April. In addition to meeting with developing member country government officials and prominent US think tanks, President Asakawa also met key US government counterparts, including Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai. President Asakawa also met with Canada’s Minister of International Development Harjit S. Sajjan. With the US and Canadian government counterparts, President Asakawa discussed economic prospects and COVID-19 recovery in Asia and the Pacific; food security and supply chains; and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s innovative approaches to climate finance.
President Asakawa calls for stronger regional cooperation to strengthen economic recovery at ASEAN meeting
President Masatsugu Asakawa on 8 April 2022 virtually participated in the 8th ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting with other International Financial Institutions. The meeting was chaired by Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister of Economy and Finance and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 Governor Aun Pornmoniroth with National Bank of Cambodia Governor, Chea Chanto as co-chair. President Asakawa, in his speech, highlighted JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s continued support to ASEAN countries to navigate the headwinds ahead, and achieve a green, inclusive, and resilient recovery. To sustain the recovery momentum, he identified three policy priorities, namely strengthening regional cooperation, enhancing domestic resource mobilization, and scaling up investment for green and inclusive growth. Officials from the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank also participated in the meeting.
President Asakawa meets Uzbekistan’s President, reaffirms support for private sector development
President Masatsugu Asakawa on 24 March 2022 met with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other senior officials during his mission to Uzbekistan from 24-27 March 202. They discussed JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游's continued support for private sector development and the country's economic and financial sector reforms. President Asakawa highlighted the importance of Uzbekistan's green transition, which JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 is supporting through its clean energy projects, and emphasized opportunities created by regional cooperation and integration through Uzbekistan’s membership of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program. On 24 March, the President delivered a speech at the high-level Tashkent International Investment Forum and on 25 March he spoke at the Country Platform for Development Partner Coordination meeting chaired by Uzbekistan Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov. During the visit, President Asakawa also visited three JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游-supported project sites, and met with JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游's Uzbekistan Resident Mission staff. Read the news release .
President Asakawa speaks at G20-S20 Just Energy Transition webinar
President Masatsugu Asakawa on 17 March 2022 joined Indonesia President Joko Widodo to deliver a keynote speech at the Science 20 (S20) High-Level Policy Webinar on Just Energy Transition (JET). President Asakawa highlighted JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s commitment to building effective knowledge and financing on climate and energy transition grounded in scientific evidence and related policy actions, and that targets vulnerable groups. VP Saeed moderated a panel discussion with Indonesia's Finance Minister and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 Governor Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif, and also with global experts, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and transparency in JET and the importance of gender considerations. The S20 supports the G20 process by fostering a dialogue with the scientific community on evidence-based decision making. Read the news release .
President Asakawa meets with delegation from US Treasury
President Masatsugu Asakawa on 17 March 2022 met with delegates from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, led by the US Treasury’s Climate Counselor John E. Morton. They discussed the importance of accelerating the energy transition in the Asia and the Pacific. President Asakawa highlighted several innovative JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 initiatives, including the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). He also emphasized JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s new Energy Policy.
Masatsugu Asakawa is the President of the Asian Development Bank (JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游) and the Chairperson of JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s Board of Directors. He was elected President by JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s Board of Governors and assumed office on 17 January 2020. In August 2021, he was reelected for a 5-year term starting on 24 November 2021.
Under Mr. Asakawa’s leadership, JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 made significant contributions to the region’s COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery planning with a $20 billion comprehensive response package and $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility . He also played a key role in rolling out a series of new and innovative financing initiatives—including an Energy Transition Mechanism — to spur the region’s low-carbon development and elevated JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s 2030 cumulative climate financing ambition to $100 billion as JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 continues to focus on the battle against climate change.
Prior to joining JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游, he served as Special Advisor to Japan’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and has a close-to-four decades’ career at the Ministry of Finance with diverse professional experience that cuts across both domestic and international fronts.
In the immediate aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, Mr. Asakawa, in his capacity as Executive Assistant to Prime Minister Taro Aso, took part in the first G20 Leaders’ Summit Meeting in November 2008. He was instrumental in orchestrating a globally coordinated financial package to abate the financial crisis, including a $100 billion loan from Japan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Then in 2016, in his capacity as Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, he took on a leading role for the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting in Sendai under the Japanese presidency, where a sustainable and inclusive development agenda was extensively discussed.
Most recently, he served as Finance Deputy for the G20 meetings under the Japanese presidency, playing a pivotal role for the success of the G20 Osaka Summit as well as the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting in Fukuoka. Some of his outstanding achievements in Osaka include the endorsement by the G20 Leaders of the “G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment” and the “G20 Shared Understanding on the Importance of UHC Financing in Developing Countries”. Before these, he had occupied various prominent positions within the Finance Ministry, including director positions in charge of development policy issues, foreign exchange markets, and international tax policy.
Mr. Asakawa’s professional experience extends beyond the realms of the Japanese government. Most notably, he served as Chief Advisor to JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 President Kimimasa Tarumizu between 1989 and 1992, during which time he spearheaded the creation of a new office focused on strategic planning. Also, he had frequent engagement with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in such positions as Chair for Committee on Fiscal Affairs (2011–2016). Furthermore, he was a senior staff at the Fiscal Affairs Department of the IMF (1996–2000). In the meantime, he gave lectures as Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Economic Science, Saitama University (2006–2009), and at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo (2012–2015).
Mr. Asakawa obtained his BA from University of Tokyo (Economics Faculty) in 1981, and MPA from Princeton University, USA, in 1985.
