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Host Country Role

1. Office Bearers and Role of the Chair and Vice-Chairs

  • The Chair and Vice-Chairs of the Annual Meeting (i.e., office bearers) are selected yearly.  At the end of each Annual Meeting, the Board of Governors elects one of its Governors to be Chair, and two other Governors to be Vice-Chairs. They serve in their respective positions until the end of the next Annual Meeting.  Usually, the Governor of the host country is selected as the Chair. If the Annual Meeting is held at ADB Headquarters, the Chair may be from the Philippines or from another country.  Vice-Chairs are selected from a roster, taking into consideration those members who have not played any role at past Annual Meetings. It has also been the practice to have two Governors from regional ADB members and one from a non-regional member as office bearers. 
  • Events attended by the Chair during the Annual Meeting include the following.
  • Briefing by the Secretary. The Office of the Secretary arranges a meeting during which the Secretary briefs the Chair and Vice-Chairs on the overall proceedings of the Board of Governors' meetings, including scripts of the meetings, co-chairing schedule, report of the Procedures Committee, and any sensitive issues that may arise during the course of the meeting.
  • Opening Session. The Chair's role at the opening session is to open the meeting and to introduce and invite the Guest of Honor and the ADB President to deliver their addresses. The Chair is also expected to deliver a brief opening statement, which may include a statement on behalf of the host country. A script of the proceedings, to be read by the Chair, is prepared by the Secretary in consultation with the Chair (Chapter 2. Events).
  • Business Session. The Chair co-chairs the business session with the two Vice-Chairs. A co-chairing schedule is prepared in advance by the Secretary, in consultation with the Chair and the Vice-Chairs, and the schedule is distributed to the three office bearers before the Annual Meeting. A sample co-chairing schedule for the Annual Meeting is in Appendix 11.
  • In addition to the scheduled co-chairing, the Vice-Chairs may be called upon to relieve the Chair at short notice, and they are expected to be available continuously for consultation with the Chair on any matters arising from the meeting, as necessary (Chapter 2. Events).