The NGO Forum on ADB (also known as “Forum”) is an independent network of civil society organizations of grassroots organizations, social movements, and affected communities across South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and caucuses in Australia, Europe, and the USA acting as a watchdog of all the projects and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) since 1992.
 
We have witnessed the wake of mass poverty, unemployment, loss of livelihood, social unrest, and human rights violations brought by ADB’s programs and projects—pushed by private capital to control previously owned public domains. The KJDRP water drainage project in Bangladesh, Nam Theun 2 dam project in Laos, Marcopper Mining in the Philippines, Tata Mundra Coal Plant in India, Sustainable Urban Development Investment Program in Armenia and the Railway Rehabilitation Project in Cambodia among others -- all suffered from ADB’s interventions that were replete with risks to marginalized and vulnerable peoples, the economies and the environment and yet the Bank is treading the same path in greater levels.

 

As ADB enters its 50th year of operations in Asia it carries with it the privilege of immunity accorded by international laws to ADB as an international organization in the UN Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies and Vienna Convention. This same privilege is also claimed by ADB in its own charter and its headquarters agreements with borrowing government protecting the Bank from suits by the government or by any of its agencies or instrumentalities, nor by any entity or person seeking claims outside of ADB’s internal grievance mechanisms effectively freeing its agency from full accountability.

 

TO EXPOSE THE ADB-WE NEED PROOF!
TO CHALLENGE ADB's IMMUNITY WE NEED EVIDENCE!

 

This legal privilege of IMMUNITY has allowed the ADB, to act with impunity against the environment, human rights, and self-determined development. The rule of law must also apply to a multilateral development bank if we are to fulfill the demands of human rights and sustainable development.  The Forum’s long years of experience in engaging the ADB to show various wins in policy language but had little influence in ADB’s operations on the ground.
 
Thus, the Forum deems it imperative of holding ADB accountable not only for the impacts of its projects but also for financing a rights-violating development process. This is only possible if ADB can be held accountable outside of its own grievance mechanism and be held liable under national and international laws.

 

NOW IS THE TIME TO CHALLENGE ADB’s IMMUNITY.

 

In the 50th year of ADB, we intend to EXPOSE the track record of its destructive journey. Therefore, we are sending this open call to everyone, kindly bring us your studies and stories on ADB’s culpabilities on any of these five themes: DEBT, DESTRUCTION, DESTITUTION, DISPLACEMENT, and DISPARITY.   You may submit your evidence as research, case studies, testimonies, articles, videos, photos, and press releases.  

Kindly send your evidence to - 

Email: evidence@forum-adb.org
Postal Address: NGO Forum on ADB, 85-A Masikap St. Extension Rd., Diliman, Philippines 1103
 

LET'S NOT WAIT FOR ANOTHER 50 YEARS

In Solidarity,

Rayyan Hassan
Executive Director
NGO Forum on ADB