[Samarkand, Uzbekistan]— NGO Forum on ADB, an Asian-led network of over 250 organizations worldwide, is taking a stand by boycotting this year’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Annual Meeting in Uzbekistan. This bold decision is rooted in the AIIB’s persistent exclusion of meaningful engagement with affected communities and civil society, highlighting a disturbing disregard for transparency and accountability in its meeting format.
For the past nine years, the Forum has been at the forefront of engaging with the AIIB. However, it is clear that civil society engagement at these Annual Meetings is nothing more than a PR exercise for the AIIB to showcase its multilateralism. Rayyan Hassan, Executive Director of the NGO Forum on ADB, stated: “If the AIIB is serious about the impacts of their operations, they must meaningfully engage with civil society and listen to our truths. We will not rubber-stamp a social license for the AIIB. Their projects and policies are self-serving and adversely affect impacted communities and the environment. If they want to be sincere, they must be responsible, and the first step is to listen to those on the ground dealing with the realities of loan operations.”
The Forum expressed profound disappointment in a letter addressed to AIIB President Jin Liqun, highlighting the bank's refusal to address concerns regarding its lack of civil society consultations. This decision underscores a troubling pattern of exclusion that undermines transparency and the principles of inclusive dialogue. Hemantha Withanage, the new International Convenor of the Forum network, remarked: “If the AIIB is not serious about involving communities and civil society, the so-called stakeholder participation in the AIIB AGM will be just a tick-box approach. We want the AIIB to take civil society engagement seriously and respect our voices in the bank’s processes.”
Brex Arevalo from GAIA Asia Pacific emphasized: “The theme for AIIB's Annual Meeting is 'Building Resilient Infrastructure for All,' emphasizing 'robust, adaptable, and inclusive infrastructure.' Yet, the Bank risks meeting none of these parameters as local communities and civil society are excluded from meaningful participation, all the while supporting harmful projects and disreputable companies that these groups have long warned against. This includes funding for waste-to-energy incineration, refuse-derived fuel, plastic-to-fuel, and other false solutions to waste issues and climate change that worsen our chances at resilience, rather than increasing it. Our boycott is not a signal of disengagement, but a serious demonstration of our dissatisfaction with how AIIB engages with stakeholders, project partners, and especially those who are already affected on the ground.”
Hasan Mehedi of (CLEAN) Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network from Bangladesh added, “The AIIB’s continued exclusion of civil society and affected communities from its decision-making processes is deeply concerning. This boycott calls for the AIIB to seriously reconsider its approach and incorporate diverse perspectives into its policies.”
NGO Forum on ADB cited several critical concerns that led to the boycott, including the AIIB’s approval of significant policies and strategies—such as the Gender Action Plan, Corporate Strategy, Climate Action Plan, and Accountability Framework—without engaging civil society. This exclusion undermines transparency and inclusive dialogue. Moreover, the AIIB has yet to host civil society-led panel discussions at its Annual Meetings, limiting the range of perspectives and debates on vital issues. Compounding this problem is the AIIB's inadequate visa support for local civil society groups and affected communities, creating formidable barriers to participation and preventing direct engagement with key decision-makers.
Dr. Rene Ofreneo from Freedom from Debt Coalition remarked, “The AIIB's failure to provide space for civil society dialogue in its Annual Meeting reflects the Bank's empty rhetoric regarding its mission to support meaningful and sustainable development across Asia. Why avoid a meaningful conversation with civil society organizations monitoring the impact of AIIB financing on grassroots communities? Is AIIB hiding its failure to observe appropriate social, economic, and environmental safeguards for various infrastructure projects? Clearly, AIIB has much to explain. By closing the door on dialogue with CSOs, AIIB reveals itself as just another bilateral financial institution serving a select few.”
Kate Geary from Recourse pointed out “The AIIB pays lip service to civil society engagement, claiming to want “meaningful, inclusive and transparent” participation at its AGM, yet it controls the whole agenda and lags behind its peers. Real debate could open the AIIB’s eyes to the challenges that local communities face – including in accessing the AIIB's accountability mechanism, which is yet to accept a single complaint despite nearly $55 billion invested in 285 projects.”
NGO Forum on ADB stands firm in its commitment to advocate for the rights of affected communities and will not waver in its demand for genuine civil society participation. This boycott is a clarion call for the AIIB to confront its shortcomings and engage authentically with those impacted by its decisions. The Forum will continue to amplify the voices of the marginalized and hold the AIIB accountable for its actions.
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