Summit), and on the importance of infrastructure investment in Africa, has highlighted the role of the AfDB. Some research has indicated that a high percentage of respondents in African countries has a marked preference for additional aid from the African Development Bank, despite the fact its relatively low rating against most of the aid effectiveness criteria found to be important by donor recipients. This suggests that donor recipients in Africa views on the ‘multilateral donor of choice’ are informed by additional aid effectiveness criteria that are not commonly identified or reported against, though exactly what those criteria have not been discussed. In general, whereas there has been progress at all levels with regard to democracy, growth and restoring the macro-economic balances in Africa over the past fifteen years, half of sub-Saharan Africa lives on under one dollar a day, and AIDS is threatening the social fabric of the continent. The studies conducted by various organizations (including the African Development Bank and the World Bank) show that, with the exception of northern and southern Africa, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (reducing by half the number of persons living in poverty and without access to potable water by 2015) will in most cases not be attained. Nevertheless, these same studies indicate that the majority of the African countries can make notable progress to these ends. African Development Bank annual conferences African Development Bank's (AfDB) 4th annual conference outside Africa held in India (Gandhinagar, Gujarat) on May 22–26, 2017, at an event inaugurated by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Previous conferences outside Africa were in Spain, China, Portugal. Membership Regional member countries Note: All countries in the African Union including Mauritania but excluding the SADR are eligible for NTF benefits. ADF eligibility ADB and ABF eligibility ADB eligibility Non-regional member countries (ADF only) List of 20 largest countries by voting powers The following table are amounts for the 20 largest countries by voting powers at the African Development Bank as of September 2021. United Nations Development Business The United Nations launched Development Business in 1978 with the support of the World Bank and many other major development banks from around the world. Today, Development Business is the primary publication for all major multilateral development banks including the African Development Bank, United Nations agencies, and several national governments, many of whom have made the publication of their tenders and contracts in Development Business