Funding of the Sponsor Funded Staff Programme of Asian Development Bank

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

With this intervention, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland funds the Sponsor Funded Staff Programme of the Asian Development Bank. The funds cover the secondment of two FInnish experts for two years in the Asian Development Bank. One of the experts will be placed in the bank's headquarters in Manila as an education expert and the other in the VIetnam country office as a private sector development expert. Other positions may be funded based on the needs of the AsDB and the funding available. The specialist stationed in Manila will support the Bank in its work in the education sector with a focus on education in the innovation and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). There is one common theme for Finland's influencing work in development banks: enhancing education. Education is viewed as one of the primary objectives to ridge the growing income gap in Asia. The private sector development specialist will promote greater private sector participation in ADB’s Viet Nam country operations. Through the IPP programme that is closing in 2018, Finland has gained in Vietnam a good standing as well as results in the innovation sector and the start up ecosystem, both with the authorities as well as in the start up communities and big cities and universities. The cooperation is strongly forward-looking and beneficial to Vietnam. It is envisioned that the sponsoring of the specialist will support the continuity of the cooperation.