The well attended Forum brought together over four hundred representatives from diversified sectors of governments, private industry, civil society and academia for several days of sessions and activity clinics.Daily sessions of the Forum dealt with varied aspects of sustainable transport within the context of ADB’s newly introduced Sustainable Transport Initiative.Sustainable transport will be a major focus of ADB’s future operations in alignment with its Strategy 2020.
Inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration are forefront in its agenda for Strategy 2020. Within this context, the ADB hopes to assist developing member countries to develop a transport sector that is more sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.
ADB’s limited involvement in urban transport for developing member countries was noted, but due to increasing demand, lending activity in this area is likely to grow.
The Forum was an opportunity as well for the Vice President/Minister of Finance to visit the headquarters of the ADB for the first time since being designated on behalf of Palau as Governor to ADB’s Board of Governors. In this capacity, the Vice President is appreciative of the special courtesies extended to him by ADB’s Vice President C. Lawrence Greenwood and Executive Director Phil Bowen who represents Palau as part of a Pacific constituency on the Board of Directors. Mr. Robert Wihtol, Director General of the Pacific Department hosted a special lunch for the Governor from Palau.Throughout the Forum, bilateral meetings were arranged for the Vice President with Mr. Sungsup Ra, Director, Pacific Strategy & Special Operations of ADB’s Pacific Department and Stephen Blake to discuss ongoing TA’s and other proposed programs in public sector reform and water and sanitation.
The Vice President met also with Director General Philip Erquiaga and senior staff of the Private Sector Operations Department for discussions on available assistance and lending options in the area of private sector development. With regard to an ongoing climate change Technical Assistance for Palau to update a previous climate change Program of Action, the Vice President took the opportunity to meet with Mahfuz Ahmed for discussions as well.Scheduling of a scoping mission is being arranged for this team.In a final meeting with Executive Director Phil Bowen, the Vice President extended an invitation to him to visit Palau.
To date, this invitation has been accepted and Mr. Bowen will be traveling to Palau during this month of June.The Vice President travelled to attend ADB’s Transport Forum with his Chief of Staff Warren Umetaro and was pleased to have had a chance as well to spend the week with Mr. Rhinehart Silas who was nominated last year by the Vice President to the position of Director’s Advisor to the Executive Director.
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