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ADB Opens Inspection Function to Consultations

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) encourages its stakeholders—nongovernment organizations (NGOs), civil society, and the private sector—to help improve ADB’s inspection function to ensure the “highest quality” of projects and programs for the “best interests of the people affected.” ADB President Tadao Chino welcomed the participation of all stakeholders at the opening of the regional consultation workshop to review its inspection function, held in June in its Manila headquarters.

In his opening remarks before participants from over 30 countries, Mr. Chino said, “Widespread consultation with our stakeholders is of paramount importance for a full review of our inspection mechanism and the development of a new and better mechanism…as stakeholders of ADB, your views are critical in helping ADB design such a mechanism that is responsive to the needs of ADB, our members, and the people ADB is to serve.”

This was the first in a series of regional meetings to gain feedback and suggestions on proposed improvements. Results of the con- sultation will be incorpora- ted into a working paper for submission to the Board of Directors later this year. Consultations with ADB and development assistance stakeholders were undertaken in many of the ADB member countries. These were held in eight cities covering four continents. An initial consultation was held in Tokyo, followed by a series of consultations in Frankfurt, Ottawa, and Washington DC, along with subregional workshops in Phnom Penh, Kath-mandu, Beijing, and Sydney.

Adopted by ADB in 1995, the Inspection Policy established the inspection function, which provides an opportunity to hear the concerns of people affected by ADB-financed projects, and to ensure projects’ compliance with ADB’s operational policies and procedures.

The current review is the first major consideration of the 1995 policy. Lessons learned from ADB’s experience with inspection requests, comments of stake- holders, and experiences of other multilateral development banks will be the basis of the proposed changes.

Issues examined in the consultations included the scope, eligibility and screening requirements, and independence of the mechanism; the transparency of the process; the adversarial nature of inspections; conflict of interest issues; and the cost of inspections and legal issues relating to the inspection function.

A draft of the working paper on the inspection function can be found on ADB’s web site at www.adb.org/Inspection/review.asp

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Cambodia
Consultation Workshops with NGOs

ADB organized a series of consultation workshops in Phnom Penh with the nongovernment organization (NGO) community with the view to strengthening partnerships among ADB, NGOs, and Government.

The national workshop on ADB-NGO and government cooperation was organized jointly with SILAKA, a local NGO in Cambodia, on 19 August. The workshop was part of a 12-country exercise to meet with NGOs, civil society organizations (CSOs) and government representatives to discus effective ways for promoting ADB and NGOs/CSOs cooperation. A subregional workshop involving representatives from NGOs and government officials from Cambodia, People’s Republic of China (Yunnan Province), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myan-mar, Thailand, and Viet Nam was held on 21–22 August.

An information workshop on ADB’s flagship initiative on the Greater Mekong Subregion Program for Economic Cooperation was held on 23 August.

The outcome of these workshops will be the basis for the elaboration of a medium- term strategy and action plan for ADB for 2003–2005, which will include mechanisms for improved and enhanced partnerships.

Sri Lanka
Workshop on Disability and Poverty

A national workshop organized by ADB to discuss disability and poverty, was held at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo, from 15 to 17 August 2002. The workshop brought together representatives from government, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), donors, United Nations agencies, associations for persons with disabilities, and the private sector. Participants developed a national action plan to mainstream disability issues in poverty reduction strategies.

The workshop is part of an ADB regional technical assistance project to develop similar plans in Cambodia, India, and Philippines.

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Mekong Subregion
Mekong River Countries Stepping Up Cooperation

Ministers of six countries bordering the Mekong River will meet in Phnom Penh from 23 to 25 September to strengthen cooperation in implementing development projects over the next 10 years.

Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China (Yunnan Province), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam have built a solid foundation over the past decade for increased trade, investment, tourism, and other forms of cooperation, including human development and environmental management. Ministers and their delegations will now assess the most effective ways to implement the 10-year Strategic Framework for the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) adopted last year.

At the forthcoming 11th Ministerial Conference of the GMS Economic Cooperation Program, ministers will meet representatives from bilateral and multilateral donor institutions as well as international and regional organizations.

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