THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Australian national and its former deputy director general — Southeast Asia department Emma Veve as the director general of its Pacific department (PARD).
Ms Veve begun in her new role Monday and will be responsible for the department’s vision and strategy in the subregion.
ADB confirmed the new incumbent would lead the delivery of the forthcoming Pacific Approach 2026-2030, which would serve as ADB’s overall country partnership strategy for 12 of its 14 Pacific development members — Cook Island, Kiribati, Marhsall Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Island, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
She will also lead the implementation of ADB’s individual country partnership strategies for Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG).
“I am delighted to be back working in the Pacific, and I’m deeply committed to helping shape the new Pacific approach, which will serve as ADB’s guide to assisting the Pacific developing members achieve their development goals,” Ms Veve said in the statement from the ADB.
“In keeping with ADB’s role as Asia and the Pacific’s climate bank, we will remain focused on combatting climate change and its impacts using innovation, knowledge, and collaboration.”
Ms Veve had served as the deputy director general of the Pacific department where she supported the director general in the delivery of ADB operations across the 14 Pacific developing member countries.
She had also held other senior roles within ADB’s economic, social, and urban sectors in the Pacific Department.
Before joining ADB in 2005, Ms Veve was the economic advisor with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva
She holds a double degree in agricultural science and economics from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; and holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
NOTE: This article was first published in the print edition of the Fiji Times dated FEBRUARY 15, 2025.
