ARMENIAN CIVIL SOCIETY CAN INFLUENCE ADB STRATEGY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 16:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Civil society and Armenian NGOs are powerful enough
to determine priority credit projects launched by the Asian Development
Bank, said Avilash Roul, Network Capacity Development Coordinator of
The NGO Forum on ADB, during the meeting which took place in the REC
Caucasus Armenian Branch Office on 22 June.

NGO Forum on ADB is a network of non-governmental organizations
which implements monitoring of the bank projects and policies. The
forum combats non-constructive and socially unjust projects and
policies. With the financial support of the Forum, Environmental
Survival NGO implements monitoring of ‘Improvement of Water Supply
and Sanitation Systems of the RA Communities’ and ‘Reconstruction of
Rural Roads’ credit projects in Gegharkunik region of the RA.

The Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus – REC Caucasus
is a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal person registered in
spring of 2000, following the decision made at the Sofia Ministerial
Conference in 1995, to work for environment and sustainable development
in the Caucasus region.

REC Caucasus assists the Caucasus states in solving environmental
problems and supports in building the civil society through promotion
of public participation in the decision-making process, development
of free exchange of information and encouragement of cooperation
at national and regional level among NGOs, governments, businesses,
local communities and all other stakeholders.

The founding document of REC Caucasus – its Charter – was signed in
September, 1999 by the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
and the European Union.

Mr. Roul said ADB has doubled expenses for poverty reduction regional
programs while the results are still unsatisfactory. "The G8 summit
decided to bring financing to $20 billion. However, the process is
not homogenous and the situation may get even worse," he said.

For her part, Maya Eralieva, Central Asia and Caucasus Coordinator,
said that the Forum works towards social and environmental justice, and
good governance. It was originally established as the NGO Working Group
(NWG) on the ADB in 1991 by 20 NGOs from 16 countries. During that
time, it has a Regional Secretariat that facilitated the dissemination
of relevant information gathered from the ADB to its member NGOs and
partner local groups.

"Donor countries are financing the Bank’s projects. Their activities
should be accountable and public awareness should be secured,"
she said.