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The Public Communications Policy of the Asian Development Bank: Disclosure and Exchange of Information

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IV. The Policy

27. The public communications policy (the Policy) aims to enhance stakeholders' trust in and ability to engage with ADB. To ensure ADB's operations have greater development impact, the Policy promotes

• awareness and understanding of ADB activities, policies, strategies, objectives, and results among ADB's constituents, other stakeholders, and the general public;
• sharing and exchange of development knowledge and lessons learned, so as to provide fresh and innovative perspectives on development issues;
• participatory development, ensuring a greater two-way flow of information between ADB and its stakeholders, including affected people; and
• transparency and accountability in ADB operations.

28. To this end, ADB shall proactively share its knowledge and information about its work, its views, and its opinions with stakeholders and the public at large. ADB shall also disclose information in response to individual requests for information. In the absence of a compelling reason for confidentiality, there shall be a presumption in favor of disclosure of information.

29. ADB recognizes that transparency not only enhances development effectiveness, but also increases public trust in the institution. ADB shall seek to be a positive example of transparency, and to act in a way that is consistent with the advice it provides to members on transparency issues.

30. ADB also recognizes the great importance of country ownership of the activities it supports in developing member countries. The views and interests of these developing member countries shall, therefore, be respected when the Policy is implemented.

31. ADB supports the right of people to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas about ADB-assisted activities. ADB shall provide information in a timely, clear, and relevant manner so it can communicate with, listen to, and consider feedback from its stakeholders. ADB shall share information with affected people early enough for them to provide meaningful inputs into the project design and implementation.

32. To improve performance by learning from its past experiences, ADB shall report failures and disappointments as well as successes. ADB shall not withhold information just because it is negative. ADB shall encourage constructive debate and dialogue on policies and operations. As a public institution, ADB shall be publicly accountable.

33. ADB shall not selectively disclose information; people will have equal access to the information that ADB makes available under the Policy according to the terms of the policy, strategy, and implementation arrangements.

34. ADB shall seek to enhance the understanding of its members, civil society organizations, businesses, media, academic institutions, development partners, and the general public about its role in poverty reduction in Asia.

35. Full disclosure is not always possible for legal and practical reasons. For example, ADB needs to explore ideas, share information, hold frank discussions internally and with its members, and consider the special requirements of its private sector operations. ADB shall safeguard the privacy of its staff and protect non-public business information of itself, private sector sponsors, and clients. However, exceptions are limited, and ADB shall disclose all information it produces unless such information falls within the exceptions set out in paragraphs 126, 127, and 130 of the Policy.

36. Unless restricted by other provisions in the Policy, documents submitted to the Board for information shall be disclosed no later than upon circulation to the Board, and documents submitted to the Board for consideration shall be disclosed no later than upon approval or endorsement by the Board.

37. ADB shall implement the general principles set out in the Policy through the strategy outlined below. The strategy indicates the information ADB shall proactively make publicly available and indicates certain instances where information shall be made available on request or shall not be made available without the consent of ADB.

38. In the event of any conflict between the disclosure provisions (but not other provisions) of the Policy, and any other Board-approved policy, the disclosure provisions of the Policy shall prevail.

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