BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 1. Masato Kanda has been re-elected for a second term as President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
This was announced in a report published on the bank's website.
The report noted that the ADB President received the unanimous support of the members of the ADB Board of Governors who participated in the recently concluded elections:
"His new five-year term will begin on November 24, 2026," the bank said.
According to the bank, Kanda was first elected as the 11th ADB President on November 27, 2024, and assumed office on February 24, 2025, completing the unexpired term of his predecessor, Masatsugu Asakawa.
"I am deeply honored by the trust our members have placed in me at this critical moment in our region’s history. New shocks are striking Asia and the Pacific, even before economies have recovered from the last, and the international order is under its greatest strain in generations.
ADB must be the region's anchor of stability. But stability cannot mean standing still. We must mobilize with speed and at the scale our members need, to protect people today while helping build a brighter future for the next generation," Kanda said.
The report emphasized that since Kanda took office, ADB has significantly expanded its support to its members during concurrent crises:
"In 2025, ADB provided a record $44 billion in support, including more than $29 billion from its own resources and nearly $15 billion in cofinancing," the report noted.
According to the bank, the historic amendment to its Charter paved the way for a 50 percent increase in the bank's annual financial capacity, which will allow annual financing from ADB's own resources to exceed $36 billion.
"Prior to joining ADB, Kanda served as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Japan from 2024 to 2025, and as Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs from 2021 to 2024. He also represented Japan at major international forums, including the Group of Seven (G7) and the Group of Twenty (G20).
ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members, 50 from the region," the bank reported.
