Purpose

The purpose of the workshop will be to present the capacity development and training materials for review and discussion before their final publication. The workshop will also examine the scope for potential replication of the manuals and toolkits in other countries. Participants will include representatives from government, civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations, and other experts from the three participating countries and international organizations.

The workshop will include presentations, panel discussions with pre-identified discussants, as well as break- out sessions to examine critically the TA outputs and provide recommendations for further enhancement and ensure their usefulness and relevance.

Background

Applying social safeguards for indigenous peoples or ethnic minorities in development projects can pose complex operational challenges. These are vulnerable groups, generally affected by high levels of poverty and extreme poverty. But when, and by reference to what criteria, should they receive differentiated treatment in ADB or other international finance organisations' projects? In addressing their particular concerns in development, what practical guidance can be given to the executing and implementing agencies accountable for implementing development projects? How can ADB's safeguard requirements best be reconciled with national laws, policies and implementing mechanisms?

In July 2009, ADB adopted the new Safeguards Policy Statement (SPS), integrating safeguards policies on environment, Indigenous Peoples and involuntary resettlement, respectively. The SPS provided the framework for capacity building to selected Developing Member Countries (DMCs) on ways to integrate indigenous peoples concerns in development, and to effectively ensure for Indigenous Peoples safeguards in projects and activities proposed for ADB assistance.

To this effect ADB's Environment and Social Safeguards Division (RSDD/RSES) started implementing, since August 2009, a Regional Capacity Development Technical Assistance (TA) project with participation of from the governments of Bangladesh, Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and Philippines. The TA involved an extensive range of activities, including: capacity assessments, pilot training sessions for different government agencies, Indigenous Peoples' network forums to engage civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations, and the preparation of capacity building and training materials. Generic training manuals for dealing with Indigenous Peoples safeguards have been prepared for the three participating countries. In addition, practical toolkits were prepared with a focus on specific sector activities. These address, respectively: education in Bangladesh; transport and infrastructure in PRC; and agriculture and natural resources management in the Philippines. It is envisaged that these toolkits will be of practical and operational value to agencies and their staff engaged in the design and preparation, implementation, or monitoring and evaluation of projects.

Implementation of the TA in the 3 DMCs involved three focal agencies - the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA) in Bangladesh, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC) in PRC , and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in the Philippines.