ORGANISED BY ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
WITH ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT
THE PARK HOTEL, CHIANGMAI,
THAILAND MAY 4 2000
We, the participants of the Indigenous Peoples Forum, deeply appreciate the initiative taken by the ADB to organize this Forum as part of the process of building partnership with the Asian indigenous peoples.
We hope this marks the beginning of an ongoing dialogue that will promote equitable and sustainable development. As a means for continuing this new dialogue, we put forth the following comments and recommendations to the Asian Development Bank:
1.1 ADB's current policy on indigenous peoples was developed with inadequate input from the indigenous peoples.
1.2 The main focus of the policy on indigenous peoples is on mitigating the negative impact of mainstream development projects on indigenous peoples.
1.3 Most ADB supported projects have been developed and implemented without the full, free and prior informed consent of all those who are affected by the projects.
1.4 ADB's position on land issues is contradictory: It recognizes indigenous peoples rights over their ancestral land; at the same time, it states that "the Bank must respect the will of governments, including legislation and policy, that exists and the power of eminent domain that governments possess" [Asian Development Bank Policy on Indigenous Peoples, 1999, p.14].
1.5 Current ADB lending policies, particularly the structural adjustment policies, have led to the impoverishment of indigenous peoples.
2.1 The Bank's Policy on Indigenous Peoples should be reviewed and revised in consultation with the indigenous peoples.
2.2 The Bank's policies relating on indigenous peoples should focus on proactive development activities, rather than merely attempting to mitigate negative consequences of its former policies. The Bank's policies should be to promote empowerment of indigenous peoples.
2.3 On land rights, ADB should initiate, on a priority basis, a process of dialogue between indigenous peoples and governments at national and regional levels to resolve the existing contradictions.
2.4 ADB should revise its lending policy from its current growth-driven emphasis to one that promotes holistic, equitable, sustainable development of all indigenous communities and peoples.
2.5 We strongly recommend the formation of an ADB-Indigenous Peoples Forum, which will communicate and meet on a regular basis.
3.1 Projects should be planned and implemented only with the full and formative participation throughout the project cycle of the people concerned who are meant to benefit from the project.
3.2 The Bank must recognize and respect the right of indigenous peoples to reject projects which they deem detrimental to their interests.
3.3 ADB, governments and indigenous peoples organisations together should develop clear guidelines on how to operationalise the concept of participation. Recommendations regarding Monitoring and Evaluation
4.1 All concerned parties should have full access to information relating to development projects, in a language that they understand. This includes independent data on potential implications of the project.
4.2 ADB should support, on a priority basis, capacity building programmes and encourage indigenous communities to develop qualitative mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating their projects. All of these recommendations can and should be implemented through genuine partnership with indigenous peoples.
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Japan CHT Committee
Contact us E-mail:
jcchti@alles.or.jp