Mekong/South East Asia | Bank Information Center: Monitoring the projects and policies of the World Bank, IMF and other international financial institutions


bicusa.org/mekong-sea Home Regions AsiaMekong/South East Asia Mekong/South East Asia Overview Key Issues Problem Projects Updates Resources Contacts RSS Update \| 8 December 2009 BIC cosigns letter to the World Bank about Land Management and Administration Project in Cambodia BIC and several key partners sent the letter to encourage the Board of Directors to approve a full investigation of a how communities have been affected by the project. Though the Cambodian government ended the agreement after seven years, the forced displacement suffered over that time is still weighing heavily on the Cambodian people. Read more Update \| 5 November 2009 BIC co-sponsors workshop in Southeast Asia The workshop, held this Spring in Ho Chi Minh City, brought participants from the region together to learn how to successfully engage the Multilateral Development Banks. Read more Update \| 3 November 2009 BICster co-authors chapter in book about hydropower in the Mekong region The recent publication "Contested Waterscapes in the Mekong Region" features a chapter co-authored by BIC Asia Program Manager Jelson Garcia. Read more Press Release \| 2 October 2009 Cambodian communities facing forced eviction launch Inspection Panel complaint against World Bank Phnom Penh residents facing the largest forced displacement of Cambodians since the Khmer Rouge era have filed a complaint to the World Bank Inspection Panel stating that they have suffered serious harm from a Bank-funded land-titling project. Read more Press Clipping \| 28 September 2009 Obey the agreement, Nam Theun 2 investors told As the commercial operation date of the controversial hydropower project in Laos is about to begin later this year, the International Rivers found that the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the Nam Theun Theun 2 Power Corporation are still far from complying with the Concession Agreement, which includes livelihood restoration for resettled villagers. Read more Update \| 9 September 2009 IFC suspends palm oil funding In response to pressure from civil society and a CAO report detailing violations of the IFC's social and environmental standards in Indonesia, IFC agreed to suspend all palm oil financing until the gaps in procedures that allowed these violations to happen are closed. Over the next six months, IFC will study how failures have happened in the palm oil sector and how they can be overcome in the future. Read more Update \| 29 June 2009 FCPF approves R-Plans for Guyana and Panama With the approval of the readiness plans for Guyana and Panama, the World Bank moves its Forest Carbon Partnership Facility forward despite civil society protests. Read more Press Clipping \| 25 June 2009 Indonesia: Controversy over clean-up plans for Java’s biggest river Civil society groups are concerned about project effectiveness and corruption in the allocation of Asian Development Bank funding to clean up the River Citarum, one of the world's most polluted rivers. Read more Update \| 10 April 2009 GTI Updates 1 and 2 now available in Bahasa-Indonesian Read more Update \| 12 March 2009 Save the Mekong Coalition launch A new coalition has formed in response to concerns about the negative social and environmental impacts a series of several proposed large hydropower dams would have on the Mekong River region. Open to civil society organizations in the region and abroad, Save the Mekong aims to "raise public awareness about the risks associated with damming the river, and persuade policymakers to adopt more sustainable and peaceful ways of meeting people's energy and water needs." Read more Press Clipping \| 12 February 2009 AFP: Philippines summons World Bank official The World Bank Country Director for the Philippines has been ordered to appear before a Philippine Senate inquiry into a corruption scandal involving a multi-million dollar road project. Read more Update \| 8 December 2008 ADB watchdog submits critique on Safeguards Review Network charges that poor quality of 2nd draft implies that President Kuroda has been unable to convince the ADB bureaucracy to uphold and support his vision of the ADB as the leading regional development organization on poverty alleviation and climate change. Read more Update \| 4 December 2008 BIC comments on ADB safeguards 2nd draft The 2nd draft, contrary to Asian Development Bank President Kuroda’s standard-setting public assertions that no weakening of the policy would occur, represents a significant dilution of the Bank’s existing safeguards. Read more Press Release \| 1 December 2008 Indonesian groups urge ADB to pull out from Citarum water program A network of West Java and Jakarta civil society organizations have uncovered serious flaws in the design of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Integrated Water Resource Management Investment Project (ICWRMIP) and are urging the ADB's Board of Directors to pull out from investing into the proposed project unless a "significant, meaningful, strongly and broadly supported re-assessment of the entire program is undertaken." Read more Update \| 24 October 2008 Urgent Action: Global sign-on statment on the proposed "Global Summit" to reform the international financial system Sign-on to the civil society letter, BY OCTOBER 28, supporting the fundamental and far-reaching transformation of the international financial and economic system. The letter supports the major international conference convened by the UN to review the international financial and monetary architecture, its institutions and its governance. Read more Update \| 14 October 2008 International Rivers releases new report on dam building in Laos International Rivers has just released a new report "Power Surge," which chronicles the social and environmental debt created by a boom in hydropower development in Laos. Read more Update \| 2 October 2008 BIC's popular Tools for Activists now available in Chinese To broaden its use among civil society organizations in China, the Bank Information Center’s World Bank Toolkits for Activists is now available in Chinese. Read more Update \| 24 July 2008 Independent Report questions integrity of ASEAN assessment of Burma damages A new report released by an independent researcher from the Burmese community says that many victims of Cyclone Nargis are still not getting adequate relief material from international aid groups, including the United Nations agencies. Read more Update \| 16 July 2008 Indonesian NGOs consolidate advocacy strategy on ADB's Integrated Citarum Water Resource Management Project On July 8-9, 2008, Indonesian NGOs held a two day workshop in Bandung, West Java on the ADB’s pipeline Integrated Citarum Water Resource Management (ICWRM) Project. The occasion marked the launch of the Peoples Alliance for Citarum (Aliansi Rakyat untuk Citarum-ARUM). Read more Update \| 9 July 2008 ADB safeguards panel discussion from 2008 Annual Meeting Audio from the panel discussion on the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Safeguard Policy Update at the ADB's 2008 Annual Meeting is now available online. Read more Update \| 19 June 2008 World Bank and ADB cautioned against increasing engagement with Burma's military regime In a Statement issued June 17, the Ethnic Community Development Forum (ECDF) of Burma cautioned the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) against any engagement with Burma's military rulers in the post-Cyclone Nargis scenario given the human rights situation in the country. Read more Update \| 29 May 2008 World Bank sets up $1.2 billion facility for food aid The World Bank announced today that it has set up a financing facility in the order of $1.2 billion to assist with the global food crisis. Read more Update \| 13 May 2008 ADB agrees to NGO demand for second draft of Safeguard Policy Update After ignoring civil society demands that called for a halt to public consultations, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has finally agreed to issue an additional draft and consultation. The announcement comes a week before the Asian Development Fund (ADF) replenishment wrap-up, and ADB watchers believe the concession was made after the U.S. tied its ADF contribution to a satisfactory resolution of the review. Read more Update \| 6 May 2008 ADB strategy 2020: selling Asia to the private sector In a recent sign-on statement, multiple civil society organizations rejected the Asian Development Bank's new strategy, arguing that it will push for more private sector involvement in development and lead to more harmful impacts on services, livelihoods, food security and the environment. Read more Press Release \| 6 May 2008 ADB warned of Asia’s risks without strong safeguards Civil society organizations warn that Asia's communities and environment will continue to be at risk if the Asian Development Bank (ADB) fails to improve its existing safeguard policies that are currently being revised. Read more Press Release \| 5 May 2008 NGOs to ADB president: "No future for Asia's poor under ADB!" At the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) annual meeting, the Bank's Long-term Strategic Framework and the global food crisis tops the agenda. Civil society groups attending the meeting have criticized the ADB's pursuit of private sector development at the expense of poverty-alleviation efforts and community and environmental interests. Read more Update \| 30 April 2008 ADB to meet amid food crisis, growing poverty As the Asian Development Bank prepares to meet for its upcoming annual meeting, it faces criticism from shareholders concerned about its role and relevance in the region and by civil society over its handling of the global food crisis. Read more Update \| 28 April 2008 ADB exceeds private equity investment limits A confidential report by the Asian Development Bank's evaluation unit reveals that the Bank is violating its own rules by investing more in private equity firms than it is allowed. Read more Update \| 25 April 2008 ADB and U.S. at odds on policies While the U.S. remains committed to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its mission of reducing poverty in Asia, objections to the Bank's lending policies and its function are causing concerns that U.S. funding commitments could be cut because of the dispute. Read more Update \| 25 April 2008 2008 Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting This update provides the most recent information regarding the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank held in Madrid, Spain from May 3-6. It also includes the activities of civil society organizations taking place during the meeting. Read more Update \| 9 April 2008 International Trade Union Confederation comments on ADB draft safeguards policy The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and ITUC-Asia Pacific represents 18.6 million members in 48 national affiliates from 29 countries in the region. In a letter to President Kuroda of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ITUC and ITUC-AP point out that the ADB draft omits mention of all labor issues except one brief mention. They urge the ADB to adopt a policy on core labor standards and other basic labor conditions. Read more Update \| 2 April 2008 ADB holds U.S. consultation on safeguards policy; NGOs do not attend As part of its North America leg of consultations, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held a half day event in Washington, DC on April 1 to seek feedback on its draft Safeguard Policy Statement. Several NGOs declined attendance in support of the position taken by the NGO Forum on ADB which calls for a "halt" in consultations given the weakness of the consultation draft. Read more Update \| 10 March 2008 Paulson pressed on ADB funding rules Representatives of the U.S. Senate judiciary and House financial services committees, urge Hank Paulson, the U.S. Treasury secretary, to demand that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stick to tougher environmental and social criteria. Read more Update \| 5 March 2008 NGOs pull out of ADB's Mekong safeguards consultations 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. Read more Update \| 5 March 2008 Burmese civil society groups send open letter to ADB on the SPU Burmese civil society groups have sent an open letter to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stating that the ADB's weak Safeguard Policy Statement draft will cause not only social and environmental harms but may also lead to human rights violations. Read more Update \| 22 February 2008 BIC teams with local partners to train civil society in Indonesia Trainings aim to inform Indonesian civil society about the basics of the multilateral development banks and hold the institutions accountable. Read more Update \| 28 February 2008 Vietnamese NGOs refuse to participate in ADB safeguard policy consultations Directors from several non-governmental organizations in Vietnam have sent a letter to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stating their refusal to participate in upcoming ADB consultations in Hanoi on March 5-6, 2008. Read more Update \| 11 February 2008 NGOs cease talks with ADB on crucial environmental and social update In a press release, members of the Manila-based NGO Forum on ADB ask the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to stop its public consultations and revise the draft document known as the Safeguards Policy Statement (SPS) released in October 2007. The coalition demands ADB re-draft the policy before resuming consultations because the SPS is an “unacceptable and unsuitable basis for public review and consultation.” Read more Update \| 6 February 2008 BIC and Oxfam Australia call for halt in ADB safeguards consultations BIC and Oxfam Australia have closely followed the review of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Safeguards Policies since it was first announced in August 2005. Both organizations believe the dilution and weakening of the October 2007 Consultation Draft of the Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) contradicts assurances the ADB publicly made on several occasions, and both have stated that unless revised, the current consultation process is not worthy of further engagement. Read more Update \| 24 January 2008 Donors demand overhaul at the ADB Leading donors to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have demanded that the institution overhaul its staffing and oversight procedures. Read more Update \| 20 December 2007 ADB announces vacancy on its Compliance Review Panel The Compliance Review Panel is part of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Accountability Mechanism. It is a citizen’s complaint panel where people affected by ADB projects can request an independent investigation into problems they face and policy violations committed by the ADB. Read more Update \| 6 December 2007 From policy to practice: BIC comments on the 2007 Global Accountability Report One World Trust’s 2007 report identifies vital accountability standards for global actors. Ratings of policies and systems, however, do not reflect the most critical dimension of accountability: on-the-ground practice. Asian groups disagree with top scores for ADB. Read more Update \| 4 December 2007 BIC hosts working session on international financial institutions in Indonesia Working session aims to update the Indonesian civil society organizations and movements on the old and new trends in the governance and operations of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as they relate to Indonesia. Read more Update \| 6 November 2007 ADB responds to NGO Forum on demands around safeguards review The NGO Forum on ADB, on October 24 and 25, raised several issues with the ADB around the review of its Safeguard Policies. The ADB responded by agreeing to change dates of two regional consultations and to provide Vietnamese and Bahasa translations of the Consultation Draft. Read more Update \| 25 October 2007 NGOs ask ADB to postpone consultations on safeguard policy draft In a letter to the Asian Development Bank's Environment Division, non-governmental organizations raised substantial concerns about recent developments with the Safeguard Policy Update (SPU) process, calling into question the possibility of genuine participation by civil society organizations. It reminds the ADB to honour its previous commitments about the process of these consultations. Read more Update \| 26 September 2007 Independent People’s Tribunal charges World Bank with serious violations of democracy, human rights and sovereignty In its preliminary findings, the first ever Independent People’s Tribunal on the World Bank in India found that the Bank had an undue and disturbingly negative influence in shaping India’s national policies disproportionate to its contribution, financial or otherwise. Read more Update \| 25 September 2007 Questions loom large as Bank pushes carbon finance for forest protection The World Bank has approved plans to proceed with the development of the controversial Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, although many critical issues remain unanswered. Civil society groups are concerned that the initiative may end up being profitable for governments, companies and investors without any real reductions in carbon emissions, true protection of forest resources, or equitable benefits for the poor. Read more Update \| 21 September 2007 Independent People's Tribunal on World Bank gets underway in Delhi The four-day Independent People's Tribunal on the World Bank, the first of its kind in India, begins today. The Tribunal is an opportunity for impacted commununities and concerned groups to discuss how the World Bank has influenced their lives. Read more Update \| 20 September 2007 Civil society compares ADB safeguard policies with peer institutions Civil society groups monitoring the Asian Development Bank's "safeguard" policies find that the ADB needs to make substantial improvements to catch up with international standards and peer institutions. Read more Update \| 7 June 2007 ADB Releases Draft Energy Strategy The Asian Development Bank released a draft of its proposed Energy Strategy on May 28 for a sixty day comment period ending July 27, 2007. Civil society groups will engage with ADB but want to see more iterations of draft. Read more Update \| 17 May 2007 NGOs organize panel discussion on ADB safeguards At the 40th Annual Asian Development Bank (ADB) AGMs, CSOs outlined major gaps in existing ADB standards and discussed what the ADB should do to meet and surpass the highest international standards as ADB gears up to revamp its Safeguard Policies. Read more Update \| 7 May 2007 2007 Annual Meetings of the Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) celebrated its 40th anniversary in Kyoto, Japan signaling its close relationship with one of its largest shareholders (the other being the USA) and using the 10th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol an occasion to promote its new focus on climate change and clean energy. Read more Update \| 9 February 2007 Salween Dams Global Day of Action Civil society groups issue a call to join activists from around the world to stand up in solidarity with Burma 's victims of severe and systematic human rights violations and environmental destruction and protest the Thai government's plans with the Burmese military regime to dam the Salween River in Burma on February 28. Read more Update \| 8 February 2007 Asian Development Bank Postpones Safeguards Policy Consultation in Hanoi An ADB Safeguard Policy Consultation was scheduled to take place on March 8, 2007, in Hanoi, Vietnam. This has now been postponed and a new date has not been announced. Read more Update \| 8 February 2007 World Bank Reinstates Suspended Funds to Cambodia and Vietnam Accompanied with new anti-corruption frameworks and laws, loans to both Cambodia and Vietnam have been reinstated after a year of supension. Read more Update \| 31 January 2007 ADB Postpones South Asia Regional Consultation on its Safeguard Policies The consultation, whose date is yet to be determined, will collect the opinions of stakeholders from eight countries. Read more Country Update \| 29 January 2007 BIC releases Indonesia Country Update #5 Information about recent developments and civil society concerns related to International Financial Institution (IFI) involvement in Indonesia, including that of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Read more Update \| 21 December 2006 BIC Mekong office releases Scoping Report The report will guide the organization's work in Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, China, Laos and Indonesia. Read more Update \| 18 December 2006 Mekong groups call for World Bank, ADB and other donors to stop promoting tree plantations Local community representatives from twelve provinces in Cambodia and from a number of other countries in the region spoke at the meeting last month. Participants described how their lives, livelihoods and environments have been adversely affected by large plantations in their respective regions. Read more Update \| 30 October 2006 BIC opens regional office in Bangkok In continuation of its efforts to deepen engagement with communities and civil society organizations in the region, the Bank Information Center (BIC) would like to announce the opening of its Mekong/SE Asia Regional Office in Bangkok. Read more Update \| 16 September 2004 Unpacking the ADB: A Guide to Understanding the Asian Development Bank Read more Print this page Email this page		Search Regions Africa Asia Europe/Central Asia Latin America Middle East and North Africa See also Asian Development Bank International Finance Corporation International Monetary Fund Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency World Bank (IBRD & IDA) Asia Stay Informed! Sign up for our e-newsletters. SignUp

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