The first of more than 3,500 participants arrived at the Bali International Convention Center Friday as registration desks opened for Asian Development Bank's ( ADB) 42nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, ADB said in a news release.

ADB's Annual Meeting brings together senior officials from across Asia and the Pacific to discuss ways to effectively address poverty and ensure sustainable economic growth in the region, said the news release.

Finance ministers, senior government officials, business leaders, academics, media, and representatives of international organizations and civil society are among those gathering for the event to be held on May 2-5.

ADB's highest policy-making body is its Board of Governors, which meets annually and comprises one representative from each member country. The annual meetings are statutory occasions for the Governors of ADB members to provide guidance on ADB administrative, financial and operational directions.

The 2009 event marks the second time the ADB has held its Annual Meeting in Indonesia after a 1976 meeting in Jakarta. Indonesia was a founding member of the ADB in 1966 and is a key development partner, receiving more than 1 billion U.S. dollars in public sector lending in 2008.

Among the major issues expected to be under discussion this year is the progress that ADB has made towards achieving its objectives under its long-term Strategy 2020 framework adopted at its 2008 Annual Meeting in Madrid, Spain.

ADB officials, government leaders and private sector experts will also participate in a series of seminars dedicated to key issues such as the Asian response to the global economic crisis, climate change and regional integration.

The Annual Meeting will hold its formal opening session on the morning of May 4 and will close late afternoon on May 5 with a press conference.