The ADB in Burma: Behind the Scenes

This paper recommends that until the people of Burma can meaningfully participate in development decisions, preconditions for responsible investment are in place, and adverse impacts can be mitigated, then the ADB should refrain from any form of new engagement with Burma. If they do engage (i.e., fund, facilitate, administer) in Burma, the ADB must follow the International Financial Corporation’s “Sustainability Framework” and adhere to their own safeguard policies, including safeguards on Involuntary Resettlement, Environment and Indigenous People, as well as the ADB’s Accountability Mechanism and Public Communications Policy […]

Multilateral Development Banks and Burma: A Resource Book from the Bank Information Center

Multilateral development banks, or MDBs, are a significant source of economic assistance for developing countries. MDBs lend tens of billions of dollars to low and middle income countries each year. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loans $5 to 6 billion a year to its borrowing countries. If and when the MDBs decide to resume engagement with Burma, they could be a very large source of financial support for Burma’s development agenda.

Many of those in the movement to promote democracy in Burma have engaged in debates and discussions about whether or not economic assistance should be extended to the military regime. The Resource Book is meant to help expand this discussion to include the issue of multilateral assistance from MDBs […]