The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is revising its Involuntary Resettlement Policy (1995), Indigenous Peoples Policy (1998), and Environment Policy (2002). These policies are collectively called "safeguards policy" and are intended to protect people and the environment from harmful impacts of ADB's operations. The review process is called the Safeguard Policy Update (SPU) and began in 2005; it will likely to continue until 2009. Bank Information Center has closely monitored the process since it was launched two and half years ago.
According to ADB, the objective of the Safeguard Policy Update is “to enhance the effectiveness of its [ADB’s] safeguard policies, and ensure the relevance to changing client needs and new lending modalities and instruments.” In October 2005, the ADB issued a Discussion Note outlining key policy considerations for public review and comment. After a request from a number of civil society organizations, the ADB also agreed to commission an evaluation of the safeguard policies to be conducted by the Bank’s Operations Evaluation Department (OED). A Consultation Draft of the draft Safeguard Policy Statement was released by the ADB on October 11, 2007 for a 90 day comment period.
In February 2008, civil society organizations in the Asia-Pacific region called on the ADB to HALT the ongoing consultation process and produce a siginificantly improved second draft given their assessment that the October draft did not provide a suitable basis for public consultation.