ADB to adopt policy to work with indigenous peoples
Story-Date: 06:31 p.m. PST Saturday , March 28, 1998

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ADB to adopt policy to work with indigenous peoples



TOKYO, March 29 (Kyodo) -- By: Keiji Hirano The Asian Development Bank
(ADB) soon plans to issue policy guidelines on how to deal with indigenous
peoples in the process of planning development projects.

A draft of the guidelines says, "Indigenous peoples can be regarded as one
of the largest vulnerable segments of society," and that their existence
and their vulnerability "must be regarded as significant in the bank's
development efforts and interventions."

Under such premises, the draft urges the ADB to ensure that "indigenous
peoples have opportunities to participate in and benefit equally from
development."

The ADB's board of directors will deliberate on, and possibly approve, the
draft during a meeting in Manila in mid-April, ADB officials said.

Indigenous peoples and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have claimed
that development projects in Asia involving ADB loans sometimes force
indigenous peoples to leave their land and result in destruction of their
traditional way of life.

Replying to such criticism, the ADB has worked the past few years to draw
up the guidelines, officials said. As part of its efforts, the bank in May
discussed its policies for indigenous peoples with representatives of
indigenous peoples and NGOs at its annual session in Fukuoka, southwestern
Japan.

Members of indigenous peoples' groups and NGOs said it is necessary for the
ADB to adhere to the guideline in planning development projects.

The draft notes that indigenous peoples "often experience disadvantage in
interaction with dominant and mainstream populations, especially as relates
to development."

The disadvantages include "loss of access to ancestral lands and the
national resources and other sources of income contained in these lands:
loss of culture, social structures, and institutions: loss of indigenous
knowledge: loss of recognition as indigenous peoples: and a lack of
opportunities for effective participation in national political and
economic processes," the draft says.

"Lack of participation in development, combined with the loss of access to
land and resources, have in many cases marginalized indigenous peoples."

In a bid to avoid putting indigenous peoples at disadvantages in its
development projects, the ADB stipulates in the draft that development
initiatives "should be conceived, planned and implemented to the maximum
extent possible, with the informed consent of affected communities, and
include respect for indigenous peoples' dignity, human rights and cultural
uniqueness."

"Development processes must incorporate transparency and accountability,"
it added.

If approved by its board of directors, the policy will require the ADB to
guarantee the participation of indigenous peoples in the overall planning
of a development project. "In development efforts that affect indigenous
peoples, it is necessary that the bank integrate concern for indigenous
peoples into each step of programming, project processing and policy
development cycles," the draft now states.

It also notes it would be desirable that "indigenous peoples' issues be
addressed in project monitoring and evaluation activities, and that
indigenous peoples participate in monitoring and evaluation processes."

The draft urges the ADB to provide "specific consideration to matters such
as indigenous women's concerns" in its development efforts, although it
does not elaborate.

Moreover, the draft stresses the need to recruit and foster an internal
staff that can "deal effectively with issues and matters related to
indigenous peoples."

The draft was presented at the ADB's first regular meeting with NGOs, which
was held in Tokyo in mid-March as part of efforts to strengthen ADB
relations with the NGO sector, the bank's officials said.

After the Fukuoka meeting, the ADB and the NGOs in Japan agreed to meet
regularly and discuss development projects involving the bank. At that
time, five ADB senior officials flew to Tokyo from its headquarters in
Manila to attend the meeting.

The officials appear committed to holding such meetings in other Asian
countries, and say they will not hesitate to discuss issues affecting
indigenous people during the meetings.

The ADB will adopt another policy paper titled "Cooperation between the
Asian Development Bank and Nongovernmental Organizations" in April.

The draft of the paper declares the ADB "will seek to cooperate with
competent NGOs that have substantial knowledge in their areas of focus and
with which cooperation would be appropriate and mutually beneficial."



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