IIRSA infrastructure integration plan emerges as key issue at the 2004 IDB Annual Meetings in Lima

13 April 2004

Civil society groups complained of a lack of information, among other things, regarding this significant regional integration plan

The Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) initiative aims to increase regional competitiveness and productivity through a series of steps to physically integrate the South America region while simultaneously reforming key sectoral processes. Civil society groups repeatedly raised their concerns regarding IIRSA and regional integration during the Annual Meetings in Lima.

In addition to the official IDB seminars on regional integration, civil society groups participated in various meetings around the topic such as a meeting with the managers of Regional Operations Department 1, numerous meetings with Executive Directors, and an information sharing session between a subset of IDB technical staff and a cross-section of civil society groups concerned with the development of IIRSA.

Key concerns raised

The most significant points that resulted from these meetings were

1. Recognition of a severe lack of information and transparency around IIRSA, and
2. A lack of consistency within the Bank around what IIRSA is, to what extent the IDB is currently involved, and how the bank should proceed.

At the meetings, civil society groups voiced many concerns around the IDB’s current involvement in IIRSA. They urged the IDB to clarify what role the private sector will play in IIRSA and cautioned the IDB representatives to carefully consider the cumulative effects of the projects within IIRSA. Similarly, groups pushed for a consistent set of standards for IIRSA projects. Civil society pointed to the need for all development banks involved as well as the private sector to conform to a consistent set of standards and safeguard policies. Also, many groups from the region called for a reconsideration of two specific integration corredors: Hidrovia Paraguay-Parana and las Amazonas.

IDB Response

The IDB responded to these concerns with a call for patience. The IDB technical staff referred to IIRSA´s new website, which is yet to be disclosed, as a much improved source of information around the IIRSA initiative. IDB staff noted the dearth of practical information around IIRSA, and appeared willing to create spaces for dialogue with civil society. Although civil society’s fundamental concerns around the IIRSA initiative were not adequately addressed by the IDB, the Annual Meetings in Lima presented the first real opportunity for discourse.

For more information:

• A Preliminary Critique of IIRSA (draft for comment), Bank Information Center, April 2004 (Acrobat pdf 242 KB). Also available: Español