Safeguard Policy Review

A source for the latest important information on the environmental and social safeguard policy review, development, and consultation process.

Stakeholder Engagement

ADB is committed to ensuring meaningful consultations throughout the policy review process to build on and learn from experiences and inputs from stakeholders across many perspectives and backgrounds. The review will include a series of internal and external stakeholder consultations with member countries, development partners, governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, project affected people, indigenous peoples, and vulnerable groups. Public feedback is welcome, and everyone is encouraged to share their experiences in implementing the current policy and recommend areas for enhancement.

Objectives

  • Promote diverse participation

    Promote diverse participation and an inclusive process

  • Build interest and ownership

    Build interest and ownership in safeguards and update process

  • Ensure active participation

    Ensure active participation through open, safe, and iterative process

  • Communicate process, content, and outcomes

    Communicate process, content, and outcomes with clarity

Stakeholder engagement will be conducted in three phases:

  • Phase 1: Launch the policy review; draft and share Stakeholders Engagement Plan, (SEP) preliminary information sessions
  • Phase 2: Undertake stakeholder consultations on analytical and benchmarking studies and policy recommendations and their implications on policy revision.
  • Phase 3: Disclose draft safeguards policy and the final stage of consultations

Phase 1: Initial Consultations and Stakeholder Outreach

  June 2020 - May 2021

ADB conducted preliminary rounds of external outreach to discuss the consultation plan and deepen understanding of the needs of stakeholders. Mapping and analysis of stakeholder groups was carried out.

The draft Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) was disclosed and online preliminary information sessions (PIS) with civil society organizations (CSOs) and developing member countries (DMCs) were conducted, and dedicated communication channels were launched.

At the end of Phase 1, an updated SEP was published, which considered all feedback received during this period.

Completed Meetings

Date Meeting Meeting Documents Resources
19 May 2021 Preliminary Information Session for Government stakeholders from DMCs of East & Southeast Asia and Pacific
18 May 2021 Preliminary Information Session for Government stakeholders from DMCs of Central and West Asia, and South Asia
13 April 2021 Preliminary Information Sessions for civil society organizations North America and Europe
12 April 2021 Preliminary Information Sessions for civil society organizations in Asia and the Pacific

Phase 2: Consultations on Studies, Experiences and Policy Directions

  June 2021 – March 2023

Under Phase 2, 18 analytical studies and benchmarking studies with selected multilateral development banks were prepared on key topics like safeguard policy architecture, safeguard classification, use of country safeguard systems and cross cutting thematic issues The draft studies were shared on the website, and the key findings and recommendations were presented and discussed during consultations to seek feedback from stakeholders.

The consultations involved 145 consultation events, 10 in country consultations in developing member countries and project affected people’s consultations in 9 ADB supported projects The consultations engaged over 3,600 stakeholders from 56 member countries.

Regional consultations were organized along key thematic areas, as follows:

  Topic Date Resources
Financing Modalities Safeguards in Different Financing Modalities 20 – 24 February 2023 (Completed)
Safeguards in Private Sector Operations Safeguards in Private Sector Operations 12 – 13 December 2022 (Completed)
Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) 6 – 7 June 2022 (Completed)
Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH) 30 – 31 May 2022 (Completed)
Gender and Safeguards Gender and Safeguards 24, 26 – 27 May 2022 (Completed)
Climate Change Climate Change 17, 19 – 20 May 2022 (Completed)
Country Safeguard Country Safeguard Systems 4 – 6 April 2022 (Completed)
Safeguards in Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations and Small Island Developing States Safeguards in Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations and Small Island Developing States (FCAS/SIDS) 29, 31 March 2022 (Completed)
Environmental and Social Impacts and Risk Assessment Environmental and Social Impacts and Risk Assessment 21 – 23 March 2022 (Completed)
Lessons from Accountability Mechanisms Lessons from Accountability Mechanisms 24 – 25, 28 February & 1 March 2022 (Completed)
Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder Engagement, Information Disclosure and Grievance Redress Mechanisms 14, 17 – 19 January 2022 (Completed)
Cultural Heritage Cultural Heritage 10 – 11 January 2022 (Completed)
Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management 13 – 15 December 2021 (Completed)
Land Acquisition Land Acquisition, Land Use Restriction, and Involuntary Resettlement 6 – 8 December 2021 (Completed)
Community Health Community and Occupational Health and Safety  2 – 3 December 2021 (Completed)
Labor and Working Conditions Labor and Working Conditions  29 November – 1 December 2021 (Completed)
Resource Efficiency Resource Efficiency & Pollution Prevention  25 – 26 November, 1 December 2021 (Completed)
Indigenous Peoples Indigenous Peoples 22 – 24 November 2021 (Completed)
Policy Architecture Policy Architecture 15 – 17 November 2021 (Completed)

In-country consultations in 10 DMCs across the region discussed the recommended policy directions of the revised safeguard policy based on recommendations from analytical studies and feedback from stakeholders during regional consultations.

The consultations were conducted either in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format to ensure maximum participation from stakeholders while still managing risks and exposure to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Consultation Schedule

Region DMC Consultation Date Resources
Central and West Asia
  • Georgia
     
  • Pakistan
  • 23 – 26 January 2023 (Completed)
     
  • 2 – 4 November 2022 (Completed)
East Asia
  • Mongolia
     
  • People’s Republic of China
  • 14 – 15 September 2022 (Completed)
     
  • 25 October 2022 (for Government Agencies Only) (Completed)
South Asia
  • India
  • 21 – 24 November 2022 (Completed)
Southeast Asia
  • Indonesia
     
  • Philippines
  • 29 November – 2 December 2022 (Completed)
  • 15 – 17 November 2022 (Completed)
The Pacific
  • Marshall Islands, Republic of
  • Papua New Guinea
     
  • Tonga
  • 8 – 9 November 2022 (Completed)
     
  • 5 – 7 September 2022 (Completed)
     
  • 17 – 19 August 2022 (Completed)

The consultations undertaken in 9 ADB supported projects were designed to understand the project affected peoples' experiences with safeguard implementation by identifying the challenges, good practices, and recommendations on how to strengthen safeguards The consultations paid attention to what worked and what could be improved in the policy requirements and implementation practices.

View flyer: ADB Consultations with Project-Affected People

Consultation Schedule: Sovereign Projects

Region Project Consultation Date
Central and West Asia
  • 31 May – 5 June 2022 (Completed)
  • 6 – 12 June 2022 (Completed)
East Asia
  • 15 – 21 August 2022 (Completed)
South Asia
  • 27 February – 3 March 2023 (Completed)
Southeast Asia
  • 21 – 27 August 2022 (Completed)
  • 18 – 24 September 2022 (Completed)
The Pacific
  • 22 – 27 August 2022 (Completed)

Consultation Schedule: Nonsovereign Projects

Region Project Consultation Date
Central and West Asia
  • 24 – 30 May 2022 (Completed)
Southeast Asia
  • 5 – 9 December 2023 (Completed)

Phase 3: Revision and Finalization of the Policy

  December 2022 - March 2024

Feedback from stakeholders in Phase was consolidated, organized, and analyzed to ensure consideration of both recurrent themes and specific policy revisions.

The draft Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) was disclosed for public comments on 7 September 2023.

A new round of consultations and solicitation of public comments are being conducted to (i) widely disseminate the draft ESF to ADB’s stakeholders, (ii) solicit comments on the draft ESF, and (iii) create a space for dialogue and participation of stakeholders so that the policy revision and its future implementation can gain from varying views of its stakeholders.

Information sessions on consultation approach for the draft ESF (17-18 October 2023): discussed consultation plan documents, timeline, and how to provide feedback.

Regional consultations: face to face consultations with DMC government representatives and online consultation with CSOs.

Regional Consultations Date and Location Participating Countries
Government Stakeholders from East and Southeast Asia 22-23 January 2024
Manila, Philippines
Cambodia, Indonesia, People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, Mongolia, Philippines, People’s Republic of China, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam
Government Stakeholders from South Asia February 2024 (TBC)
New Delhi, India
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Government Stakeholders from Pacific March 2024 (TBC)
Nadi, Fiji
Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Government Stakeholders from Central West Asia April 2024 (TBC)
Location to be confirmed
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

CSO-focused regional consultations: The design is being developed in consultation with CSOs. These sessions are targeted to be organized in January to March 2024.

In-country consultations. These will be organized in selected 6-8 DMCs across the region to allow for more in-depth discussions of country level issues including challenges in the implementation of the ESF.

DMC Consultation Date
People’s Republic of China 2-3 November 2023
Pakistan 4-5 December 2023
Indonesia 11-12 December 2023
Philippines 24-25 January 2024
India February 2024 (TBC)
Fiji March 2024 (TBC)
Cambodia March 2024 (TBC)

Where does your feedback go?

All comments and recommendations were summarized in Phase 2 stakeholder feedback report and are being considered into drafting and revising of the new safeguard policy.