March 13, 2007
HP-308

Statement of Curtis S. Chin
Nominee For United States Executive
Director For the
Asian Development Bank
Before the Committee on Foreign
Relations

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Hagel and Members of the Committee.  I am honored to be able to come before this esteemed committee to be considered for confirmation as the U.S. Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  I am, of course, also extremely honored to have been nominated by President Bush to serve our nation at the ADB, and I welcome this chance to answer any questions you have. 

Before proceeding, and with the Chairman's permission, I wanted to take a brief moment to thank the many family members and friends who have provided me support and guidance through my years in both the public and private sectors.  Some of them are here today.  In particular, Mr. Chairman, with your indulgence, I wanted to recognize some of my family present.  First, my parents:  my father, Moy – a retired career U.S. Army officer originally from the state of Washington, now working in health care – and my mother, Ethel, originally from Maryland, a retired nurse and of course longtime military wife and Mom who, with my Dad, helped manage our ever-moving household from California to Arizona to Virginia and overseas U.S. postings in Taiwan, Thailand and Korea.  Also here are my sister Lisa and her husband, my brother-in-law, Sam.  Of particular note, Sam, a U.S. Army soldier, arrived last Wednesday from Iraq where he is deployed with the 19^th Engineer Battalion, Headquarters Support Company.  I would particularly like to thank Sam for joining us this afternoon and giving up a day of his no doubt well-earned leave before returning next week to Iraq.  Not here in person but offering support from afar is my brother Mark, also career U.S. Army, who recently retired as Deputy Commander for Administration of Evans U.S. Army Community Hospital in Fort Carson, Colorado.  All of them in their own way have set an example of service to our communities and our country.

If confirmed for the position of U.S. Executive Director to the ADB, I look forward to continuing that tradition of service.  Over the many years that I have lived and worked in Asia, I saw firsthand the challenges posed by the tremendous poverty that continues to persist in the region.  I also saw – as today's headlines from Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and elsewhere continue to show – how what happens in Asia can have tremendous consequences across the Pacific here in the United States.  Strong, continued engagement and involvement in Asia by the United States is vital and underscores the importance of a region that while growing and dynamic is still home to the vast majority of the world's poor and still continues to face daunting challenges ahead. 

The ADB's core mission is straightforward:  promote sustainable economic growth and eradicate poverty in the region.  It must do this through economic programs that advance human development, private sector growth, good governance, transparency and the environment.

But the impact of the ADB extends far beyond its basic mission of alleviating poverty and promoting economic development.  The Bank has played a significant role in promoting and financing economic revitalization and institutional development in Afghanistan.  With U.S. support, it has been instrumental in responding to natural disasters, serving not only as financier but as regional coordinator of recovery efforts from such devastating events these last two years as the tsunami in Asia and a major earthquake in Pakistan.  In both cases, ADB efforts to rebuild and restore local economic activity have been vital to reconstruction efforts.  Additionally, the ADB has provided assistance on anti-money laundering practices and ways to counter the financing of terrorism.  And, the ADB has been working to combat human trafficking, especially of women and children. 

If confirmed, I will bring the breadth and depth of my regional knowledge and management skills to support and advance the goals of the United States at this important regional financial institution.  These goals include ensuring that the ADB is results-oriented – achieving measurable, responsible development outcomes – as well as increasing transparency and accountability in the ADB's operations.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the privilege of appearing before this Committee today.  I would be pleased to answer any questions you or the members of the Committee have.