The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has issued a consultation draft for its safeguard policy update and will hold workshops in late 2007 and early 2008 as part of an ongoing process to enhance the environmental and social safeguards of the projects it is supporting in Asia and the Pacific.
Structured consultation workshops with stakeholders will follow across Asia and Pacific with the first workshop Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, scheduled for November 14-15, 2007. The ADB has already posted the draft on the Web.
Based on the consultations, a draft policy paper will be prepared, which also will be posted on web for consultations. The final policy paper is expected to be submitted for ADB Board consideration in the third quarter of quarter 2008, said an ADB press release received here.
ADB is updating all three of its safeguard policies - on involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, and the environment - to improve their effectiveness and ensure they remain relevant to the changing needs of its developing member countries.
The update began in 2005 with independent evaluation studies of the safeguard policies completed in early 2007. The update process is expected to culminate in late 2008 with policies updated through extensive consultations. "Consultations on the coverage and substance of ADB's safeguard policy update are essential," says Nessim Ahmad, Director of ADB's Environment and Social Safeguard Division.
"Such consultations will enhance ADB's understanding of stakeholders' perspectives, inform the formulation of the updated policies, and make sure there is a shared understanding of safeguard objectives and principles," he added.
The policy update is intended to improve clarity, coherence and consistency of ADB's safeguard policies and strengthen results during the implementation of the project. The update will also make policy implementation more adaptable in practice to match ADB's evolving range of lending products and innovative types of financing, the press release added.
The policy update will work toward greater harmonisation with safeguard practices across multilateral financial institutions and tailor safeguard approaches to different clients. It will also explore greater emphasis on country safeguards systems to bolster country ownership and development impact.
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