ICRC and Asian Development Bank formalize their first institutional partnership

LOI signing between ICRC and ADB, June 10, 2026

 

Geneva (ICRC, June 11, 2026) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have forged an institutional partnership to pursue joint initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience in fragile and conflict-affected areas.

A letter of intent signifying the start of this formal collaboration was signed on 10 June 2026 by Fatima Yasmin, ADB vice president for sectors and themes, and Pierre Krähenbühl, director-general of the ICRC. It includes an approach to a) coordinate programmes; b) promote innovation through knowledge exchange on emerging challenges and evolving humanitarian needs; and c) share best practices through joint events, meetings and publications, among others.

With the signing of the letter of intent, ADB and the ICRC have forged a strategic, high-level cooperation that will draw on their complementary mandates to support vulnerable people living in ADB’s member countries where the ICRC operates.

“Addressing interconnected challenges requires us to work beyond traditional development approaches. This is where ICRC brings something distinctive – field presence, trusted access to affected communities and credibility in environments that ADB alone cannot reach,” said Ms Yasmin in her remarks during the signing ceremony.

ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members – 50 from the region.

This formal cooperation between the ICRC and ADB is a significant step in the humanitarian-development nexus, which bridges humanitarian aid with longer-term development for affected people, and may open possibilities for joint operational responses in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

“We look forward to this strategic partnership with ADB as it will allow both organizations to learn from one another, and to complement and reinforce the broader work of development actors for people affected by conflict and violence. As a neutral and independent humanitarian organization, the ICRC offers unique access, perspective and depth of experience in many conflict-affected areas around the world, including in Asia,” said Mr. Krähenbühl. (ICRC Press Release; Posted and Edited by Jun Enriquez, Digital-Mobile Journalist)