OREANDA-NEWS. About 3,000 government officials, business leaders, investors, journalists, and representatives from civil society are expected to gather on 2-5 May at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) 48th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors. Delegates who have been invited are reminded to register online not later than 20 April 2015 to confirm their attendance. 

The theme of the 2015 Annual Meeting is “Fostering Partnership for Development,” which underscores the importance of leveraging resources and strengthening collaboration between ADB, its members, and other multilateral and bilateral partners. 

This is the first time the meeting will be held in the Caucasus region, and enhancing cooperation and integration within this region and Central Asia will be the focus of one of the panel discussions. 

In Baku, the flagship Governors' Seminar will discuss the Asia and Pacific region’s growth potential. It will also look at policies being developed by countries to adapt their economic growth models to changing internal and external environments to help sustain economic expansion and further reduce poverty. 

For the second year in a row, international broadcaster CNBC will moderate a TV debate about Asia’s economic outlook. The International Monetary Fund will again co-host a panel discussion on financial sector development. 

Private infrastructure financing will be the focus of a joint seminar with the World Economic Forum, to be moderated by Channel NewsAsia. A closer look at strengthening the environment for public-private partnerships is also on the agenda. 

Other panels will tackle development effectiveness; how to make burgeoning Asian cities more livable and resilient to climate change; universal health coverage; gender equity; and innovation.