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 Ireland Ambassador to the Philippines
President Masatsugu Asakawa and Ireland’s first resident Ambassador to the Philippines, William Carlos, in a courtesy call on 3 February 2022 reflected on the success of the partnership between JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 and Ireland. They reiterated their intent to strengthen collaboration building on Ireland’s support for the Asian Development Fund and the trust fund contributions addressing climate change and disaster resilience in Small Island Developing States. The ambassador praised JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 for its ability to be innovative and flexible in response to the challenges over the last two years. The meeting showed a clear alignment of priorities between the Government of Ireland and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 in relation to domestic resource mobilization and tax reform as a key pillar of economic recovery post COVID-19. Having an Irish ambassador based in Manila was welcomed by President Asakawa and both felt it would herald a new chapter in the partnership.
President Asakawa meets Uzbekistan deputy prime minister; confirms continued private sector-led support
President Masatsugu Asakawa, in a virtual meeting on 2 February 2022 with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 Governor Sardor Umurzakov, confirmed JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s continued support for private sector-led development as the country pursues a new development strategy. This year, JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 plans to continue expanding coverage of its private sector operations and support for renewable energy. Mr. Umurzakov expressed his appreciation for JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游’s assistance in Uzbekistan’s economic reforms and infrastructure development, and requested further support in human capital development and private sector-led road rehabilitation and maintenance. He said Uzbekistan's new national development strategy prioritizes improving people's livelihoods, society and reforming the state. Read the news release .
President Asakawa meets with Japan’s Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 Governor
President Masatsugu Asakawa and Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, on 12 January 2022 and Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 Governor, Shunichi Suzuki, on 11 January discussed Strategy 2030 implementation and JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游's response to COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific. They agreed that the future focus will need to be on ensuring a green, inclusive, resilient, recovery. This will involve consolidating all efforts to deepen knowledge, innovation and partnership to build JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 as climate bank for the region. President Asakawa appreciated Japan’s strong support to the Energy Transition Mechanism and other JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 initiatives supporting the green, inclusive, and resilient recovery. Prime Minister Kishida and Governor Suzuki thanked JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 for the excellent collaboration in eradicating poverty under Strategy 2030. They also thanked President Asakawa for his strong leadership and acknowledged the work of all JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 staff in challenging times.
JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 salutes long-standing collaboration with AMRO at its 10th anniversary event
President Masatsugu Asakawa on 7 December 2021 congratulated the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) on its 10th year anniversary, applauding AMRO for its effectiveness as an independent regional surveillance unit. In his pre-recorded message, President Asakawa highlighted the collaborative efforts of AMRO to maintain macroeconomic fundamentals and financial stability in the ASEAN+3 region even in challenging conditions. In closing, he assured that JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游 and AMRO will continue to work together to prevent financial stability risks and mobilize stable sources of long-term finance in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
2021 JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游I Annual Conference: Experts spotlight developing Asia’s carbon net-zero pathways
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Jim Skea, in his keynote speech, and President Masatsugu Asakawa, in his opening remarks , stressed the importance of greater evidence-based policy innovation to help finance post-COP26 net-zero carbon emissions targets and mitigate growing climate risks in developing Asia and the Pacific during the opening of the virtual 2021 JJ竞技(拉萨)登录手游I Conference on 1 December 2021. Read the news release .
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.
