Participation in the 2006 Asia 2015 conference is by invitation only

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Asia 2015: Promoting Growth, Ending Poverty (Asia 2015)?

A: Asia 2015 is a major two-day conference to be hosted by DFID and co-sponsors the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. It will involve around 150 delegates, mainly from Asia.

Q: What is the purpose of the conferenceAsia 2015?

A: Asia has had notable success in the last twenty years, taking more people out of absolute poverty than anywhere in history. It's possible to virtually eradicate poverty in Asia in a generation – this is a success story poised to spread throughout Asia.

However Asia faces huge challenges in nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, governance and social exclusion over the next decade. The Asia 2015 conference will provide a platform to raise the profile of these issues and discuss the changing face of development in Asia over the next decade and the implications for how DFID and the international community should respond.

Q: When and where will the conference take place?

A: The conference is being held at Lancaster House in London on 6 and 7 March 2006.

Q: What are the aims for the conference?

A: The main aims are:

• To raise awareness of the development challenges faced by Asian countries.

• To identify and devise new strategies that will address central challenges facing developing countries in Asia and accelerate poverty reduction

• Over the next ten years there is an opportunity to support more Asian countries into self sustaining development.

• To reach consensus on priorities for action and for working in partnership to achieve poverty reduction in Asia.

Q: How will the conference work?

A: The conference is a unique, informal gathering of politicians, experts, private sector, civil society and development agencies from throughout Asia and beyond. Delegates will discuss a number of conference themes. Through a series of panel-led debates, they will look both at the challenges and at how to maintain and bring about success in the future.

Q: Who will be attending the Asia 2015 conference?

A: The conference will be attended by a number of representatives from Asian countries involved in the Asia 2015 project. This includes the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and DFID as well as other development partners such as UNCTAD, UNEP and other UN bodies. In addition, the conference will host business leaders, academics NGOs and leading civil society members from Asia.

Q: Who will be chairing the conference?

A: This has yet to be confirmed.

Q: Are there any Asian countries that the conference will be particularly focusing on?

A: The Asian countries involved in the conference include India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , Nepal , Sri Lanka , China , Cambodia , Indonesia and Vietnam.

Q: What are the conference themes?

A: One main theme of the conference is promoting action to ensure sustainable growth. There are many potential constraints including environmental degradation, energy and resource shortages and inadequate investment in infrastructure and skills. Together, we need to identify how development cooperation can assist.

A second major theme of the conference is find ways to unleash the potential for poverty reduction by ensuring that growth creates opportunities for poor people and that human development needs are met. Asian countries also need support, as they cope with uneven development and rapid urbanisation that is giving rise to new forms or poverty.

The third theme is focussing on sharing the lessons. Asia development experience leads the world and this is an opportunity to highlight key aspects of that success that are relevant to other regions.

The conference will focus on the concept of taking forward new forms of mutually beneficial partnership to address the challenges presented by a diverse and modern Asia.

Q: What does working in partnership mean?

A: There's no single form of “partnership” and one of the aims of the conference is to explore new ways of working together. Partnerships can operate between and within regions; multilaterally and bilaterally; and within Asian countries.

Asian countries increasingly want a broader partnership of development cooperation that will continue to include development assistance but can also address areas such as trade, debt, migration, and environmental constraints.

Q: How serious an issue is poverty in Asia ?

A: Asia holds some of the greatest prospects for global economic growth, but some of the greatest extremes between rich and poor are also to be found in Asia . Almost two thirds of those people living in extreme poverty in the world are living in Asia . Over the next decade, Asia faces huge challenges in nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, governance and social exclusion.

However Asia is not a homogeneous region, and a wide range of solutions are needed to meet a wide range of needs.

Q: Why is the conference focusing specifically on Asia , when Asia is often seen as a development ‘success story'?

A: Asia still faces huge challenges in nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, governance and social exclusion. Economic progress means that the nature of development partnerships is changing – and that's what this conference is about. Asian countries want to set a new direction for a broader-based partnership that goes beyond development assistance and which is based on mutual interests. This is a good opportunity to build new partnerships for a new era in a way that benefits all. Asia is a major economic force, and improved prosperity levels ultimately benefit everyone.

Q: What are Millennium Development Goals?

A: The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world's countries and all the world's leading development institutions. They have galvanised unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world's poorest people. For more information see: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

Q: Who is behind the organisation of the Asia 2015 conference?

A: The Asian Development Bank, the UK 's Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank are co-sponsoring the two-day international conference in close consultation with the UN.

Q: Where can I find out more about the organisers of Asia 2015?

A: There are links to all the host organisations in the footer of this page. Simply, click on the relevant logo.

Q: Why is the Department for International Development (DFID) involved?

A: The UK is committed to helping Asia to reduce poverty – as an opportunity to reflect on the future direction of development assistance, the Asia 2015 conference is an important part of DFID's role.

Q: Why are the World Bank and Asian Development Bank involved?

A: They, with Japan , also represented at the conference, are the biggest donor organisations in Asia.

Q: Can members of the public attend the conference?

A: Asia 2015 attendance is by invitation only. However, people interested in the conference themes can get involved via the website, www.asia2015conference.org

Q: Can members of the public be involved in the conference?

A: Conference papers will be published on this site from 1 February 2006. You can also join an online discussion forum at the same web address.

Q: Will there be any supporting materials to accompany the conference?

A: Conference discussion papers and information about the outcomes will be published on this website.

Q: What will happen after the Asia 2015 conference?

A: Conclusions from the conference will be published and shared widely.

The conference is one of several events in Asia during 2006 that will focus attention on the region and raise political commitment for action. The World Bank is planning a meeting on Asia in Singapore in the last quarter of 2006 that will take forward the Asia 2015 conclusions by focussing on key issues such as the environment and human development.