5 March 2008 | Washington, DC
Groups from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Burma have refused to attend the Asian Development Bank's safeguard policy update consultations held this week in Hanoi, citing weakness of the draft. As a result, only three (3) NGOs attended the consultation adding another blow to ADB's beleaguered efforts to pass off the consultation process as credible.
Joining hands with their Burmese colleagues and civil society groups across the Asia Pacific region, Vietnamese and Cambodian civil society groups declined ADB's invitation to attend the March 5-6 Mekong Consultation in Hanoi. They highlighted the reasons for their absence in letters addressed to the Director Environment and Social Safeguards Division and copied to senior management and the Board of Directors. Foremost amongst these was their view that the draft does not offer sufficient protection to the poor and marginalized communities that are impacted by ADB projects.
The Cambodian letter states:
"Our reasons for non-attendence are simple: the draft Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) released in October 2007 is an unacceptable regression from your existing standards. It is an condemnable step backwards for donor accountability, transparency, the rights of indigenous persons, housing rights and the environment."
Despite these setbacks, the ADB plans to continue with the Pakistan-Afghanistan, Europe, North America, and Japan consultations ignoring demands by ADB watchers in those countries to consult with them only on the basis of an improved second draft.
Resources
Vietnamese NGOs refuse to participate in ADB safeguard policy consultations, Bank Information Center (BIC website)
Burmese civil society groups send open letter to ADB on the SPU, Bank Information Center (BIC website)
Read more about ongoing civil society efforts to strengthen the ADB's draft Safeguard Policy Statement, please visit BIC website.