Nongovernment Organizations and Civil Society

1.  Haruhiko Kuroda Re-elected to 5-Year Term as ADB President

ADB’s Board of Directors has unanimously re-elected Haruhiko Kuroda as President of ADB. Mr. Kuroda was first elected ADB President in November 2004 and officially assumed office on 1 February 2005, to complete the term of former President Tadao Chino.

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2.  New Fund to Boost to Clean Energy Projects

ADB has approved creation of the Asia Pacific Carbon Fund to boost clean energy projects in Asia and the Pacific. The fund, part of a broader Carbon Market Initiative, will offer an additional source of finance at the early stage of project formulation through payments for future certified emission reductions. It will be combined with ADB’s financial services to provide upfront capital and enable projects addressing renewable energy and energy efficiency to move forward. For more information, contact Toru Kubo, Clean Energy and Climate Change Specialist, Regional and Sustainable Development Department, at tkubo@adb.org.

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3.  Opinion Leaders Express Views on ADB’s Work

ADB is viewed as effective and largely successful in its work, but still has room for improvement, according to an independent perceptions survey of 700 opinion leaders from government, media, civil society, academia, the private sector and development partners in 30 countries. Respondents recognized ADB for its contribution to development, and noted ADB’s operational excellence in areas such as infrastructure, and regional cooperation and integration. They believe that ADB is doing an average or better than average job in its efforts to reduce poverty, but perceive that ADB is spread too thinly and has excessively bureaucratic procedures. For details, contact Sue Hooper, Public Affairs Specialist, Department of External Relations, at shooper@adb.org.

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4.  ADB's Policy on Involuntary Safeguards Rated as Effective

An evaluation team has rated ADB's policy on involuntary resettlement as effective in terms of the impact on people affected by infrastructure projects in a limited number of countries visited. But compliance with the policy has varied over the years and across projects and countries. The assessment, carried out by ADB's Operations Evaluation Department, was conducted through case studies on projects in People's Republic of China, India, Philippines, and Viet Nam. More recent resettlement operations appear to be better planned and carried out, according to the assessment. Capacity development in project executing agencies, usually government offices, had also by and large been effective.

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5.  C-BIRD Foundation to Develop Business Skills in Rural Cambodia

The Cambodia Business Initiative in Rural Development (C-BIRD) Foundation will soon be launched to mobilize rural communities and business associations in Cambodia with support from government agencies, NGOs, and donors. The idea to create the foundation grew out of an ADB technical assistance project that sought to connect rural villages with companies to help them develop business skills to improve income and living standards. Among other things, the technical assistance project is helping to promote understanding of business issues in rural communities through the production of a business guidebook supported by the Association of Bankers in Cambodia.

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6.  Central Asian Network Promotes Participation in Educational Reform

The Central Asia Education Cooperation Network (CAECN) works to open up the education reform process to a wide range of stakeholders, increase policymakers' awareness of international experience in reforming education, and building a platform for discussing cooperation and innovation in improving education in Central Asia. The Kyrgyz Republic’s focal point for CAECN activities, Education Initiatives Support Foundation, coordinates network-wide activities. CAECN is cofinanced by the Open Society Institute, an international NGO, and ADB's Governance Cooperation Fund. For more information, contact Manuela Prina, Social Sector Specialist, Central and West Asia Department, at mprina@adb.org.

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7.  Wildlife Conservation Society to Assess Habitat Health in Western Thailand

The Wildlife Conservation Society, an international NGO, and ADB have signed an agreement to carry out a pilot project to assess the state of habitat in the Tenasserim Range of Western Thailand. The project, which will implemented over 27 months, will help promote the value of wildlife and forest conservation and engage local communities in preserving the environment where they depend for nourishment and livelihood. It will be implemented within the context of the Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative, the flagship component of the Greater Mekong Subregion's Core Environment Program. For more information, contact Javed Hussain Mir, Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist (Forestry), Southeast Asia Department, at jhmir@adb.org.

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8.  Book Concludes Lack of Employment Drives Poverty

While there are many causes of poverty, in the final analysis poverty exists because workers are either unable to find work or earn too little. This is the conclusion of a new book edited by two staff members of ADB’s Economics and Research Department -- Jesus Felipe, Principal Economist, and Rana Hasan, Senior Economist. Labor Markets in Asia: Issues and Perspectives advises that governments can promote employment by boosting public investment in rural areas. A summary of the book’s findings and details on how to order are found here.

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9.  ADB Publishes Social Protection Index

The newly published Social Protection Index for Committed Poverty Reduction describes social protection activities in six Asian countries -- Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Viet Nam. It also compiles statistics on these countries’ social protection activities, and develops a social protection index to assess a country’s social protection activities and make cross-country comparisons. For more information, contact Axel Weber, Social Sector Specialist (Social Protection), South Asia Department, at aweber@adb.org.

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10.  CSO Visitors: Kokkyo naki Kodotachi (KnK)

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

Kokkyo naki Kodomotachi (KnK), or Children without Borders, is a small, Japan-based humanitarian educational association supporting underprivileged children and youth in Asia. It informs other youth in Japan and in other countries about the condition of underprivileged children. KnK was established in 1997 by Médecins Sans Frontières Japan to support its educational work. It became independent and secured legal status as a nonprofit organization in 2000.

The intended beneficiaries of KnK's projects include street children, trafficked youth, adolescents in conflict with the law, children from very poor families, abandoned youth, minors forced into labor, abused children, and youth affected by natural disasters. KnK conducts its activities in close collaboration with local partner organizations to assist in reintegrating troubled youth into society. KnK believes in a children’s basic right to receive education, establish their identity, have recreational time, and dream.

Knk gives attention to the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of its young beneficiaries. It helps them develop their talents and skills and become active participants in their communities. KnK also works to build a community that promotes, protects, and defends children’s rights.

The number of boys and girls benefiting from the NGO's services has grown from just 10 in 2000 to 3,000 today. KnK maintains network offices in Cambodia, France, Japan, and the Philippines.

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11.  Upcoming Events

• Intensive Environmental Impact Assessment Training, 5-14 January 2007, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Contact: Director, EIA, Central Environmental Authority, 104 Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka; website: http://www.forum-adb.org/EIA%20Training%20Announcement.htm.



• Course on Gender Analysis and Planning, 17-19 January 2007, London, United Kingdom. Contact: INTRAC; e-mail: training@intrac.org; tel: +44 (0)1865 263 040; fax: +44 (0)1865 201 852; website: http://www.intrac.org/training.php?id=59.

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15.   Latest Documents Available from ADB

ADB makes hundreds of documents publicly available online, and through its 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,
• project performance audit report (PPAR),
• project performance evaluation report (PPER),
• reports and recommendations of the President, and
• technical assistance completion reports (TACRs).

Examples of recently published documents include

• Implementation Review of the Policy on Gender and Development;
• Outer Islands Agriculture Development Project PPAR (Tonga);
• Capacity Building Project in the Water Resources Sector Evaluation Report (Indonesia);
• Rural Microenterprise Finance Project PPER (Philippines); and
• Civil Aviation Policy Development TACR (Mongolia).

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