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Consultation Workshops Begin on ADB's Public Communications
Policy
Between 27 April and 3 May 2004, staff from 50 civil society
organizations participated in workshops in Jakarta, Suva, and
Sydney on ADB's draft Public Communications
Policy (PCP). The workshops were the first of 12
being organized over the coming weeks to give representatives
of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors a chance to comment
on the draft policy. Workshop summaries will be posted on ADB's
web site along with written comments submitted by stakeholders.
Deadline for such comments is 28 May 2004. The PCP will replace
existing ADB policies on disclosure and information, and require
proactive dissemination by ADB of operational and other information,
as well as the disclosure of a broader range of documentation
than is currently the case. The draft document is now available
on-line in Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, English, Russian, and Vietnamese.
For more information, contact Bart W. Édes at disclosure@adb.org.
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Input Sought on the Five-Year Pacific Strategy
ADB is formulating a strategy to guide its support to the Pacific
region from 2005 to 2009. ADB is consulting widely with a range
of stakeholders so that the strategy can benefit from diverse
knowledge, experiences and insights of concerned individuals and
civil society organizations. ADB has prepared a 15-page paper
to promote discussion and seek feedback. The paper has been posted
on ADB's web site, and is being used as the basis for face-to-face
consultations being held in selected countries through June 2004.
The Pacific Strategy 2005-2009 will identify a few key objectives,
development approaches, and a general framework for ADB operations
in its Pacific developing member countries and for cooperation
at the regional level. For more information, contact Bill Costello
at pacificstrategy@adb.org.
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CSO Representatives to Participate in Annual Meeting
More than 30 individuals representing a diverse group of civil
society organizations from several countries have registered for
the 37th
Annual Meeting of ADB's Board of Governors. The meeting,
to be held 15-17 May 2004 on Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea,
will offer participating CSOs the chance to attend thematic seminars
and interact with ADB's staff, Management, and Board members.
A special program of events designed to address civil society
interests and concerns will give attention to ADB's new Accountability
Mechanism and draft Public Communications Policy. For more information,
contact Suzanne Nazal at ngocoordinator@adb.org.
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Public Views Welcomed on Interim Review of ADB's Water Policy
The "Interim
Review of ADB's Water Policy Implementation"
assesses how the Water Policy has been integrated into the Bank's
operations. Results show encouraging progress in improving water
services, conservation, participation, and water governance. Among
other things, the Interim Review highlights the need to revise
the Policy's provision on large water resources projects involving
dams (see: http://www.adb.org/Water/Policy/proposed_revision.asp).
Comments on the Interim Review and proposed revision can be sent
to water@adb.org
until 30 June 2004.
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Dialogue Continues on Water Issues
ADB organized a meeting
with NGOs, journalists, and academics on 26 January 2004
in Manila to exchange views on water-related issues. Sixty persons
participated in the meeting, which was led by ADB Vice-President,
Geert van der Linden. Ravi Narayanan, Director of WaterAid, encouraged
participants to aim for incremental improvement in ADB-NGO dialogue
on water issues. He suggested that ADB consider issues of participation,
process, and timing for dialogue, and engage NGOs that are active
in developing countries. He also proposed that ADB make use of
NGO networks in a cascading approach to information dissemination
and consultation. Narayanan acknowledged the wide variety of interests
and views on water topics among civil society groups, and encouraged
NGOs to take responsibility by committing themselves to the consultation
process. For more information, contact Ellen Pascua at epascua@adb.org.
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NGO Lobby Day Held at ADB Headquarters
About 35 representatives of member organizations of the NGO Forum
on ADB (the Forum) held several meetings with ADB staff at the
Bank's headquarters on 17 March 2004. The meetings provided an
opportunity to discuss projects, thematic areas, and policies
of concern to the Forum's membership, including hydropower development,
transparency, governance, water resources, and the environment.
The "Lobby Day" dialogue meetings are an annual event
timed to coincide with the Forum's annual meeting in Quezon City,
Philippines.
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Action Plan Charts Course for NGO-Private Sector Cooperation
NGO and private sector participants at a workshop organized by
ADB and other partners in Thailand, 28-31 March 2004, advocated
several actions to facilitate strengthened cooperation between
civil society and the business community in Asia and the Pacific.
ADB is now working with workshop participants to forge an action
plan that will establish an interim secretariat, secure political
support, gather and analyze information, and determine appropriate
structures to support dialogue and cooperation. Possible country-based
activities under consideration include workshops on NGO-private
sector cooperation, building NGOs' business capacity, and conducting
staff exchanges between companies and NGOs. For more information,
contact Hemanta Mishra at hmishra@adb.org.
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Seminar Raises Awareness of Gender Issues in Loan Projects
Representatives of project executing agencies from Bangladesh,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and
Viet Nam met in Hanoi, 24-26 March 2004, at an ADB
regional seminar on "Gender, Poverty, and Rural Development."
Participants discussed ADB's Gender and Development Policy, preparation
of gender analysis and gender action plans, and positive examples
of gender-inclusive loan design and implementation. They also
explored gender issues important to poverty reduction and rural
development in the area of water resources management. Participants
also shared experiences in designing and implementing gender sensitive
programs focusing on agriculture, livestock, rural infrastructure,
rural finance, and governance. For more information, contact Shireen
Lateef at slateef@adb.org.
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ADB to Share Poverty Reduction Experiences at Shanghai Conference
On 25 May 2004, a senior ADB official will give a keynote address
at a conference
in Shanghai that will bring together 600 development
practitioners to examine examples of poverty reduction worldwide.
A 9-month learning process leading up to the conference has been
using information technology and communication tools to link practitioners
from across the development community, including policymakers,
politicians, development agencies, academics, NGOs, and international
finance institutions. Hosted by the People's Republic of China,
the conference is being sponsored by the World Bank in cooperation
with ADB and other organizations. ADB will share experiences on
poverty reduction in the infrastructure and heath sectors. For
more information, contact Shiladitya Chatterjee at schatterjee@adb.org.
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Inspection Panel Releases Draft Report on Chashma
The Inspection Panel appointed to conduct an independent inspection
of the Chashma
Right Bank Irrigation Project (Stage III), visited
Pakistan to collect information from concerned parties between
27 March and 6 April 2004. On 23 April 2004, the Panel submitted
its draft Inspection Report, which was forwarded to the requesters
of the inspection and to ADB Management for comments. The Panel
will consider comments from the two parties as it finalizes the
report, which will be submitted to ADB's Board Inspection Committee
on 10 June 2004. The Panel of four experts was appointed in December
2003 to investigate the claims of harm to residents of the project
area allegedly caused by ADB's failure to follow its operational
policies. For more details, contact Jill Drilon at jdrilon@adb.org.
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Resource Alliance Announces Awards for Successful Fundraisers
he Resource Alliance, with support from the Citigroup Foundation,
is holding an annual
awards project to recognize and reward best practice
in the not-for-profit sector in Asia and the Pacific. NGOs are
invited to submit case studies of successful fundraising and resource
mobilization. Eligible NGOs include those that are able to demonstrate
good management, transparency and accountability, and a strategic
approach to resource mobilization. The award is open to NGOs in
Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Philippines;
Singapore; Taipei,China; and Thailand. The top three prize winners
will be announced at the Resource Alliance's annual regional workshop,
with each prize winner to receive a grant. The deadline for applications
is 15 July 2004. For more information, contact Celine Santillan
at Celine@resource-alliance.org.
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TA Supports Participatory Governance in Muslim Mindanao
ADB is providing technical
assistance to promote capacity of the Philippines'
Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in public administration,
revenue generation, and good governance. The support is aimed
at enhancing service delivery in one of the country's poorest
regions. During legislative drafting, and before finalization
of recommendations on such issues as a new ARMM Revenue Code,
or the ARMM Local Government Code, public hearings for citizens
will be held in each ARMM province to promote greater public participation
in policy making. For more information, contact Laura Walker at
lwalker@adb.org.
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Atlas Celebrates Peoples of the Greater Mekong Subregion
ADB has published the 216-page "Greater
Mekong Subregion Atlas of the Environment." The Atlas
captures for the first time, in one volume, maps, remote sensing
images, and detailed information on a culturally, ethnically,
and biologically diverse region. It also celebrates the peoples
of the subregion, and presents the environmental challenges they
confront. It reminds readers that the peoples and communities
of the Greater Mekong Subregion are key to maintaining its environment.
For more information, contact Jaseem Ahmed at jahmed@adb.org.
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NGO Visitors: Koalisi untuk Indonesia Sehat (KUIS)
This regular feature spotlights one of the many civil society
organizations that meet with ADB staff each month.
KUIS, the Healthy Indonesia Coalition, seeks to make prevention
and health a priority at the national, provincial, and district
levels, and increase government investment in preventive health.
KUIS also works to boost public demand for improved health status
and quality health services, enhance community participation in
local health decision making and programs, and strengthen the
private sector's role in advancing the health agenda.
The Coalition has made important contributions to improving health
in Indonesia, such as stimulating formulation of 55 volunteer-based
provincial and district coalitions, recruiting more than 100 institutional
members with strong corporate involvement generating nearly $800,000
in complementary funding, and training more than 3,200 people
throughout the country. KUIS has also reached an audience of several
million persons with public health messages disseminated through
mass media, engaged the national parliament to provide technical
assistance in redrafting the national health laws, and began implementing
community-based health programs promoting "households as producers
of health."
Over the next two years, KUIS will focus on consolidating the
rapid growth achieved in a short time, while managing the momentum
generated in many more districts wishing to set up their own local
coalitions. KUIS will expand its capacity to seek synergies with
other related programs in the field, and strengthen its capacity
to document program results.
Ardi Prastowo of KUIS participated in the ADB workshop on "Building
NGO-Private Sector Partnerships Against Poverty," 28-31 March
2004 in Pattaya, Thailand. The above description is provided by
the Health Communication Partnership (http://www.hcpartnership.org/Programs/Asia/hcp_indonesia.php).
To learn more about KUIS, contact Ardi Prastowo at ardi.prastowo@jhuccp.or.id,
or visit KUIS' web site at http://english.koalisi.org/.
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Upcoming Events
A listing in this section does not imply that funding is available
to civil society participants.
- Resource Mobilization for Business (training course), 12-13
May 2004, Karachi, Pakistan. Contact: NGO Resource Centre, Tel:
(92.21) 583-3945, Fax: (92.21) 586-5503, E-mail: dme@ngorc.org.pk,
Web site: http://www.ngorc.org.pk
- Policy Development and Advocacy (training workshop followed
by 4-week on-line instruction), 24-29 May 2004, Silang, Cavite,
Philippines. Contact: IIRR, Monette Pacia, Tel: (63.46) 414-2417,
Fax: (63.46) 414-2420, E-mail: Monette.Pacia@iirr.org,
Web site: http://www.iirr.org
- Scaling Up Poverty Reduction: A Global Learning Process (Conference),
25-27 May 2004, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Contact:
Shiladitya Chatterjee, ADB, Tel: (632) 632-4444, E-mail: schatterjee@adb.org,
Web site: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2004/Global_Learning/default.asp
- Finance for (NGO) Board Members (training course), 27-28 May
2004, Islamabad, Pakistan. Contact:
NGO Resource Centre, Tel: (92.21) 583-3945, Fax: (92.21)
586-5503, E-mail: dme@ngorc.org.pk,
Web site: http://www.ngorc.org.pk
- International Conference on Civil Society in Southeast Asia
- Roles and Concepts, 7-8 June 2004, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.Contact:
Eileen Maternowski, Munich Institute for Social Science, Tel:
(49.89) 398-365, Fax: (49.89) 340-20 2077, E-mail: Eileen.Maternowski@socialsceiece.de
- Connecting Civil Society of Asia & Europe (informal consultation),
16-18 June 2004, Barcelona, Spain.Contact: Bertrand Fort, Tel:
(65) 687-49710, Fax: (65) 687-21207, E-mail: bertrand.fort@asef.org,
Web site: http://www.asef.org
- Asia-Pacific NGO Forum (convened to prepare for the September's
UNESCAP High Level Intergovernmental Meeting in connection with
Beijing + 10), 30 June- 3 July, Bangkok, Thailand. Contact:
Annie Serrano, Tel: (632) 426-0169, F ax: (632) 924-6769, E-mail:
apngoforum@mc.edu.ph,
Web site: http://ap-ngo-forum.isiswomen.org/insidepages/main/description.htm
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Latest Documents Available from ADB
ADB makes hundreds of documents publicly available each year
on its web site
and through a growing network of 167 depository libraries around
the world. The extensive on-line Publications
Catalog allows users to browse through a list of
over 4,000 titles. These include Country Economic Reviews, Environmental
Impact Assessments, Project Completion Reports (PCRs), Reports
and Recommendations of the President, Summary Initial Environmental
Examinations, and Technical Assistance Reports (TARs).
Recently published documents include: Hunan Roads Development
II Project Summary Environmental Impact Assessment (PRC); Strengthening
Governance of Securities Trading Markets TAR (Philippines);
Majuro Water Supply and Sanitation Project PCR (Marshall Islands);
Subregional Economic Cooperation in South and Central Asia Regional
TAR; Environmental Management at the State Level TAR (India);
Capacity Building for the Financial Sector and Capital Markets
TAR (Viet Nam); Building a Poverty Monitoring Mechanism Technical
Assistance Completion Report (Tajikistan); and Southern Province
Rural Development Project PCR (Sri Lanka).
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Give us your Comments
Partnership Newsletter welcomes feedback from readers, and may
publish letters received.
To subscribe, e-mail ngocoordinator@adb.org
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of the message.
Questions about the contents of Partnership Newsletter, or about
ADB cooperation with NGOs, may be directed to Mr. Bart Édes at
ngocoordinator@adb.org.
© Copyright 2004. Partnership Newsletter is published six
times a year by ADB's Office of External Relations, in conjunction
with the NGO Center. Previous issues are available at http://www.adb.org/Documents/Periodicals/NGO_Newsletters.
Hypertext links provided in Partnership Newsletter do not imply
ADB endorsement of the views expressed on non-ADB web sites. Such
links are provided solely as an information service. Published contributions
do not necessarily represent the view s of ADB Management, staff,
or members. ADB reserves the right to edit submissions. Partnership
Newsletter may be redistributed with credit given to ADB.
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