Nongovernment Organizations and Civil Society

1.  ADB President Kuroda Meets with Civil Society Representatives at Annual Meeting

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda conferred with representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) on 3 May at ADB's 39th Annual Meeting, held in Hyderabad India. Among the issues raised by CSO participants in the meeting were ADB support for clean energy, information and communications technology, and private sector involvement in development, and the risk of corruption in ADB-financed projects. Annual Meeting panel discussions, jointly organized by ADB's NGO and Civil Society Center (NGOC) and CSO representatives, explored ADB's accountability and anticorruption efforts, the role of civil society in preparing communities against disaster, implementation of ADB's Water Policy, and regional integration and natural resource extraction. Summaries of these discussions will soon be posted on ADB's website. For more information, contact Suzanne Nazal, Civil Society Cooperation Officer, NGOC, at ngocoordinator@adb.org.

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2.  Experts Highlight the Benefits of Investment in Health

The opening event of the NGO/Civil Society Program at ADB's 39th Annual Meeting featured a special discussion panel on "Health Investment for Economic Growth: Building Blocks for Pro-Poor Development." Four experts on health issues, including two from international nongovernment organizations (NGOs), explored how improved health has value that extends beyond the individual level, producing broader macroeconomic gains. Panelists also discussed ways in which civil society, government, and the international development community can engage in innovative approaches to increase investment in health to achieve economic growth. John Hetherington, head of the Asia Regional Office of Population Services International, an NGO, served as panel moderator. Copies of the panel presentations are available from Suzanne Nazal, Civil Society Cooperation Officer, NGOC, at ngocoordinator@adb.org.

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3.  Independent Panel Issues Report on Implementation of ADB's Water Policy

Members of the independent panel that reviewed the implementation of ADB's Water Policy publicly launched their report at the NGO/Civil Society Program of ADB's 39th Annual Meeting on 4 May. The report summarized progress in key areas of the policy, identifies remaining challenges and required actions, and outlines five recommendations with proposed actions to improve ADB's water operations and investment. Dozens of CSO representatives contributed to the implementation review by participating in consultation workshops and submitting comments for consideration by the review panel. Bindu Lohani, Director General, Regional and Sustainable Development Department (RSDD), reacted to the report, saying "ADB accepts the challenges outlined by the panel and is committed to increasing investments in the water sector to more than $2 billion a year, catalyzing reforms, and supporting capacity development." For more information, contact Wouter Lincklaen-Arriens, Lead Water Resources Specialist, Energy, Transport and Water Division (RSID), at wlincklaenarriens@adb.org.

Read the News Release.

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4.  New Guide Assists ADB Staff in Applying Participatory Development

ADB has published a guide to improve consultation with stakeholders and participatory methods in identifying, designing, and implementing its projects, programs, and policies. Klaus Gerhaeusser, Deputy Director General, RSDD, presented the guide, Strengthening Participation for Development Results: A Staff Guide to Consultation and Participation, to CSO representatives and other delegates attending ADB's 39th Annual Meeting. The guide provides practical tools and tips to make participation more accessible and effective in improving ADB operations. For more information, contact Bart Édes, Head, NGOC, at bedes@adb.org.

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5.  Civil Society Contributes to Update of ADB Safeguard Policies

CSO representatives have submitted comments on ADB's safeguard policy update over the past nine months, including feedback on the discussion note posted on ADB's website in October 2005. The comments suggest ways to undertake the consultation process and highlight the importance of international best practice and accountability in safeguard implementation. Views of the public will be taken into account during the policy update which extends until November 2007, when a safeguard policy statement will be submitted for consideration to ADB’s Board of Directors for consideration. Nessim Ahmad, Director, Environment and Social Safeguard Division (RSES), said, “We look forward to close consultation with all interested parties as we go forward with this important policy update.” For more information, contact KyeongAe Choe, Principal Policy Specialist, RSES, at kchoe@adb.org.

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6.  Stakeholders Forum Held on Dam Project in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

People affected by and interested in the Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project (NT2 Project) in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) met in Thakhek, capital of Khammouane Province, on 17 May. They received updates on the project's development, both in terms of the construction, and with regard to the implementation of social and environmental safeguards. The NT2 Project Annual Stakeholders Forum attracts local and national government officials, village representatives, NGOs, the media, representatives of private companies involved in the project, and international organizations such as ADB. The forum is an important part of project transparency, and yields feedback that can be used to improve the planning and implementation process, and to make the implementation of the safeguard policies more effective. For more information, contact Marla Huddleston, Senior Social Development/Resettlement Specialist, Southeast Asia Department (SERD), at mhuddleston@adb.org.

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7.  Project Will Help Restore Livelihoods of Pakistan's Earthquake-Affected Households

A $5 million ADB grant will help poor households affected by the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan begin restoring their livelihoods. The earthquake affected about 3.5 million people and most of the population in the affected areas remains homeless. The grant, from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, financed by the Government of Japan, will target between 8,000 and 10,000 poor and vulnerable households in the largely inaccessible earthquake-affected areas. In coordination with government agencies and NGOs, the project will provide households living at higher altitudes with material to cultivate spring crops, such as maize, fodder, and vegetables. Landless community members will be given small amounts of livestock and poultry, including shelter and feeds. For more information, contact Herath Gunatilake, Central and West Asia Department, at hgunatilake@adb.org.

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8.  ADB Supports Civil Society Action Against Corruption

ADB will strengthen the role of civil society in the fight against corruption through a technical assistance (TA) grant of $150,000. The TA project will fund the activities of selected CSOs to demonstrate their role demonstrate their role in improving transparency and accountability, and fighting corruption. Three countries that have endorsed the ADB-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Anti-Corruption Action Plan will undertake the project: Mongolia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The TA project will serve as a demonstration project for CSOs, with the potential for broader application in ADB operations. The Partnership for Transparency Fund, an international anticorruption NGO managed by volunteers, has been tapped to help implement the initiative, which will be carried out over 18 months. For more information, contact Jennifer Francis, NGO/Civil Society Specialist, NGOC, at jfrancis@adb.org.

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9.  Study Will Address Transport's Contribution to Greenhouse Gasses

Transport will be the fastest growing sector in terms of contributions to greenhouse gasses in Asia. ADB, in cooperation with the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), with support from the Government of the United Kingdom, has initiated a study contributing to the development of an overall investment framework on climate change under the Group of Eight (G8) Gleneagles’ Action Plan on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development, which was agreed upon in July 2005. For more information, contact Cornie Huizenga, Head of Secretariat, CAI-Asia, at chuizenga@adb.org.

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10.  CD-ROM Toolkit Supports Action on HIV/AIDS

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance has published a CD-ROM that brings together resources for people who are establishing, managing, or studying support programs or systems to assist CSOs. The toolkit contains over 500 resources covering topics such as support to strategic planning, institutional change, monitoring and evaluation, and partner and program selection. The toolkit is available online at http://www.ngosupport.net. For more information, contact the International HIV/AIDS Alliance at publications@aidsalliance.org.

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11.  E-Notification Provides Instant News from ADB

Sign up to ADB's "e-notification" system to receive alerts when documents on topics of interest have been posted on ADB's website. E-mail alerts can be tailored to specific interests, such as region, theme, or type of document. To register, click here.

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12.  Report Details ADB Cooperation with Civil Society in 2005

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13.  CSO Visitors: The Energy and Resources Institute

This regular feature spotlights one of the many CSOs whose representatives have recently met with ADB staff at the institution’s headquarters in the Philippines.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was established in India in 1974 to address problems that mankind is likely to be faced with in the years ahead due to the gradual depletion of the earth’s finite energy resources and the existing usage that could lead to pollution. The central element of TERI’s philosophy has been its reliance on entrepreneurial skills to create benefits for society by developing and disseminating intellectual property. TERI's strength lies not only in identifying and articulating intellectual challenges covering various disciplines, but also in mounting research, training and demonstration projects. These projects lead to the development of specific problem-based advanced technologies that help carry benefits to society at large.

TERI has established a presence not only in different parts of India, but also worldwide, with a presence in North America, the Gulf area, Europe, Malayasia, and Japan. Each year, TERI organizes the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, a major event focusing on sustainable development, the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and assessment of global progress in these critical areas. The Summit attracts the prominent thinkers and practitioners in various development fields.

Encouraged by the success of the Summit, TERI has now established the World Sustainable Development Forum, which is guided by the patronage of a group of select world leaders. The Forum aims to extend the experience of each Delhi Sustainable Development Summit to other parts of the globe, and carry out careful evaluation and monitoring of developments worldwide, particularly in meeting the MDGs.

In 1998, TERI established a School of Advanced Studies, which received the status of a university in 1999. The research-based TERI School features programs that lead exclusively to PhD and Masters level degrees.

TERI employs more than 700 employees, drawn from a range of disciplines and experience, supported by infrastructure and facilities that are world class and distinctively state-of-the-art. The Institute continues to grow in size, coverage and intensity of work undertaken.

Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Director, TERI, addressed ADB staff through the RSDD Eminent Speaker Program at ADB headquarters on 13 March. He spoke on "Climate Change: Its Likely Impacts in Asia and Opportunities for Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." For more information on TERI, visit its website at: http://www.teriin.org.

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14.  Upcoming Events

A listing in this section does not imply ADB endorsement or availability of financing for participants.

• Training Course on "Financial Management for Non-Specialists," 13-15 June, London, England, UK. Contact: INTRAC; e-mail: training@intract.org; tel: +44(0)1865 263 040; website: http://www.intrac.org.
• ADB Clean Energy Week, 20-22 June, Manila, Philippines. Contact: Samuel Tumiwa, Energy, Transport and Water Division, ADB; e-mail: stumiwa@adb.org; tel: +632 632 5247; fax: +632 636 2198; website: http://www.adb.org.
• 66th CIVICUS World Assembly, "Together for a Just World," 21-25 June, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Contact: CIVICUS; e-mail: civicusassembly@scvo.org.uk; website: http://www.civicusassembly.org.
• Training Course on "Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation," 26-30 June, Oxford, England, UK. Contact: INTRAC; e-mail: training@intract.org; tel: +44(0)1865 263 040; website: http://www.intrac.org.
• 7th International Conference of the International Society for Third Sector Research, 9-12 July, Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: ISTR, Johns Hopkins University; e-mail: istr@jhu.edu; tel: +1 410 516 4678; fax: +1 410 516 4870; website: http://www.istr.org.
• 14th Regional Course on Community Based Disaster Risk Management, 17-28 July, Bangkok, Thailand. Contact: Falak Nawaz, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center; e-mail: faalak@yahoo.com; tel: +66 2 5165900-10 (extension 330); website: http://www.adpc.net.
• International Economic and Social Forum, 25-28 October, Lyon, France. Contact: Scientific Foundation of Lyon; e-mail: newsletter@forum-lyon.com; website: http://www.forum-lyon.com.

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15.   Latest Documents Available from ADB

ADB makes hundreds of documents publicly available each year on its web site, and through a growing network of 170 depository libraries around the world. The extensive online Publications Catalog allows users to browse through a list of over 4,000 titles. These include country economic reviews, project completion reports (PCRs), reports and recommendations of the President (RRPs), summary environmental impact assessments (SEIAs), technical assistance reports (TARs), and technical assistance completion reports (TACRs).

Examples of recently published documents include

• Strengthening the Capacity of the Commission for Eradication of Corruption in Indonesia TACR (Indonesia);
• Remittances and Poverty in Central Asia and South Caucasus TAR (Regional);
• Enabling the Private Sector to Undertake Poverty-Focused Water Distribution and Strengthening of Institutional Reforms in Kathmandu Valley TAR (Nepal);
• Greater Mekong Subregion: Development Study of the North South Economic Corridor TAR (Regional);
• Gansu Heihe Hydropower Development Project SEIA (People’s Republic of China).

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