ABA members enjoy the following benefits and services: 
 

Policy advocacy is a major thrust of ABA program. During general meetings, members jointly formulate statements on issues and policies that relate to banking and finance in the regional and international arena. The principal objective is to come up with a paper that articulates the position of ABA on these issues and, if deemed appropriate, to submit the paper to the regional or international body tasked with addressing those issues. 

Towards this end, the ABA Policy Advocacy Committee has been created to identify issues on banking and finance that may be covered by the Association for policy advocacy. Composed of banking and finance experts as well as members of the ABA Board, this Committee meets from time to time to achieve this objective. 

Since its creation, the committee has done considerable work in seven areas – (a) local currency bond market development; (b) the development of domestic credit rating agencies; (c) the Basel II Framework; (d) promoting regional convergence toward IFRS; (e) insolvency law and informal workouts; (f) corporate governance, and (g) microfinance. Through these, the ABA is able to make significant contributions to the work of regional and international policy-making and regulatory bodies.

 

ABA issues the following publications to serve as information link between the officers and members: 

a.       ABA Newsletter - This monthly publication is effectively utilized as a channel for communications between the officers, the Secretariat and the members and as a medium for exchange of the latest news and information on banking and finance, member-bank activities, member-bank personalities, as well as on services available to members. Members are encouraged to contribute articles regarding activities in their respective banks, as well as on financial developments in their own countries. 

b.       ABA Journal of Banking and Finance - This semi-annual publication contains enlightening and informative articles, monographs and occasional papers, and speeches on banking and finance, economic development and regional economic cooperation. Contributions of articles are also sought regularly from member banks.
 
The ABA conducts the following training and professional development programs for members.

a.   Advanced Bank Management Courses, which are conducted yearly in cooperation with other training organizations and event organizers such as the Institute of Banking and Finance in Singapore, the Institut Bank-Bank Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, the Australian APEC Study Centre in Melbourne, the Informa Finance Asia of Singapore, Euro-Events of Hong Kong, IQPC Worldwide of Singapore, and the New York-based Worldwide Business Research, among others. 

b.  Country Familiarization Tour, which aims to facilitate the entry of ABA members into new and emerging markets and in the process, help the integration of emerging economies into the regional and global markets. 

c.  ABA Short-Term Visiting Programs, which aim to enable member banks to share knowledge and know-how and to learn from one another's experience on the various aspects of banking operations and practices.

 
 
 
ABA endeavours to strengthen relationship with bankers' associations in other regions and countries in and outside the Asia-Pacific as a way of promoting ABA's name and expanding membership. Cooperation is established through the exchange of guests at conferences and seminars, exchange of publications, and participation at each other's training programs.
 
Among the bankers’ associations with which the ABA has established ties are the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP), the ASEAN Bankers Association, the Association of Banks in Singapore, The Mongolian Bankers Association, and the Bankers Association of the Philippines.
 
 
 
ABA continues to establish linkage with other regional organizations, such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, the South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN), and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
 
The ABA annual meetings and conferences have been very effective tools for bringing together top Asian bankers and for exchanging information and ideas among the members. The themes of these meetings and seminars have focused on the identification or promotion of the role of banking and finance in regional cooperation or on the improvement of the banking industry in the region. ABA continues this tradition and maintain the quality of their contents by ensuring that they are always relevant and topical. To ensure a substantive discussion of issues, Ministers of Finance or Central Bank Governors, as well as international experts and eminent authorities on financial issues, are invited to attend the annual meetings and seminars.
 
General Meetings and seminars held to date:
 

Year

Theme

Venue

June 1986

Development of Lending Practices of Financial Institutions in Asia-Pacific

Singapore

Nov 1986

Prudential Management of Banks

Bangkok

Nov 1987

Investment Banking: Emerging Trends in Asia

Hong Kong

Nov 1988

The Recycling of Japanese Funds: Strategic Implications on Banks in Asia and Asian Economies

Singapore

Oct 1989

Political-Economic Transformation of the Asia-Pacific Region in the 1990s

Jakarta

Nov 1990

The Direction of Regional Cooperation in Asia-Pacific Towards the Year 2000

Tokyo

Dec 1991

The Direction of Capital Flow Within the Asia-Pacific Region Toward the Year 2000

Kuala Lumpur

Oct 1992

The Enhancement of Industrial Infrastructure in Asia and the Role of Financial Markets

Seoul

Nov 1993

The Emerging Financial Markets in China

Hong Kong

Nov 1994

Global Economic Transformation: Impact on Asian Financial Markets

Jakarta

Nov 1995

Risk Management and Information Technology

Manila

Nov 1996

Asian Banking in the 21st Century

Kuala Lumpur

Sept 1997

Challenges and Opportunities for International Bankers

Moscow

Nov 1998

The Asian Financial Crisis and its Impact on the World Economy

Taipei

Nov 1999

The Changing Financial Landscape

Singapore

Sept. 2000

Banking in the New Millennium

Istanbul

Sept. 2001

New Trends and Challenges for Banks in a Globalized Economy

Tashkent

Sept. 2002

The New Basle Capital Accord and Its Impact on Asian Banking

Seoul

Oct. 2003

Challenges and Competition in a Globalized Market   

Manila

Nov. 2004

Asian Banks: Measuring up to New Challenges

Hanoi

Oct. 2005

Globalization of Markets: Local vs. Global

Melbourne

Oct 2006

The ABA in its 25th Year: New Opportunities for Asian Banking  

Taipei

Oct 2007

Asian Banks: 10 Years After the Financial Crisis and Beyond

Hong Kong

Oct 2008

Asian Banking: Coping with Risks and Seizing Opportunities

Bangkok