21 December 2006
The report will guide the organization's work in Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, China, Laos and Indonesia.
The Scoping Report analyzes the current political and economic situations in the region, and surveys the dynamics of civil society engagement with the banks. It also outlines BIC's plans for work in the region.
The report aims to:
- ascertain the extent to which civil society organiations in Mekong/SE Asia understand the role of multilateral development banks in shaping the national development agenda
- document the existing initiatives of Mekong/SE Asia civil society focused on monitoring the World Bank and Asian Development Bank
- discern the role BIC can play to enhance the regional CSO ability to hold the institutions accountable
The Asia Pacific region is home to 55% of the world's population. Despite the remarkable prosperity experienced by the region in recent years, the unequal distribution of this growth has left over 620 million people living in abject poverty.
Multilateral development banks (MDBs) have traditionally played a major role in setting the development agenda of the region. In fiscal year 2005 alone, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank provided US$2.8 billion and US$885.96 million, respectively. However MDB assistance comes with strings attached. The cost of MDB policy prescriptions and development frameworks can be very high for countries transitioning from centrally-planned to market-led economies, and from civil war to social reconstruction.
Read the report
Visit
BIC's Mekong webpage