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ADB and IUCN Forge Partnership for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

BANGKOK, THAILAND (20 November 2004) - Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Tadao Chino and Achim Steiner, Director General of IUCN - The World Conservation Union, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the basis for cooperation between the two institutions.

"ADB and IUCN have had a long history of fruitful cooperation on conservation," Mr. Chino said. "Formalization of our collaboration will build new synergies and emphasize the strengths of our respective organizations."

He added that the MoU, signed at the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress underway in Bangkok, provides new impetus to ADB's ongoing collaboration to promote links between health, poverty, and conservation. "The MOU reinforces our partnership, and acknowledges ADB's and IUCN's common aim of poverty reduction and conservation of biodiversity," he said.

Mr. Steiner pointed out that ADB and IUCN have a mutual interest in achieving relevant and effective policies and programs for international development.

"Both are international organizations that have mandates to support sustainable development in the Asian and Pacific Region, have common membership in the region, have Observer Status in the United Nations General Assembly, and seek to build strategic alliances with their partners in the international development community," he said.

During the past decade, ADB and IUCN have worked on several programs and projects. The scope of these activities has ranged from capacity building exercises to regional technical assistance, conferences and publications. The cooperation between ADB and IUCN benefits greatly from IUCN's participation in, and access to, conservation technologies in various environmental fields as well as the organization's knowledge of country-specific environmental conservation issues.

ADB and IUCN will work together to support poverty reduction at the regional and subregional levels in the Asian and Pacific region and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The cooperation between ADB and IUCN will be guided by the principle that country and regional ownership of sound development policies and programs is necessary to ensure sustainable development. ADB and IUCN agreed that collaboration will strengthen institutional capacities in both organizations, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the use of their respective resources.

Development policies and programs supported through ADB-IUCN collaboration will be designed to be results-oriented and built on transparent relationships between development assistance providers and beneficiary countries. Both organizations will emphasize long-term approaches to sustainable development, encouraging full stakeholder participation, and gender equity. "ADB has taken to heart the valuable lessons learned about the links between health, poverty, and conservation," Mr. Chino said.

"We will continue to work in partnership with governments, the development community, and civil society towards poverty reduction and environmentally sustainable development. It is important for the region to ensure that economic growth does not come at the expense of people's quality of life and environment degradation."

IUCN is an international union of members that seeks to influence, encourage, and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature, and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

ADB is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable economic growth, social development, and good governance. Established in 1966, it is owned by 63 memberss - 45 from the region. In 2003, it approved loans and technical assistance amounting to US$6.1 billion and US$177 million, respectively.

For more information, please contact:

Omana Nair at onair@adb.org and Mobile Nos.: +63 917 855 2085; +63 918 939 9062