Asian Development Bank
Requests: The ADB InfoUnit handles requests and can be contacted at disclosure@adb.org or use an electronic form. You may also contact ADB’s office in your country.
Procedures: The 2011 policy aims to make relevant information available to the public in a timely manner. Under the PCP, ADB must acknowledge receipt of a written request within 5 working days after receipt, and respond to the requests within 30 calendar days after receipt. Other procedures are described in the policy and in the FAQs on the transparency home page.
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6 December 2016
The Asian Development Bank is reviewing its Public Communications Policy (PCP). The PCP, which governs ADB’s disclosure of information and transparency practices, was approved by ADB’s Board of Directors in October 2011 and became effective on April 2, 2012. “ADB is particularly interested in hearing feedback from civil society to improve information sharing,” according to […]
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21 July 2015
By Jeffrey Gutman The author is a Senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development. He is the former vice president of Operations Policy and Country Services at the World Bank and has held various other operational positions during his 30-plus-year career at the Bank. His research focuses on issues of infrastructure, urban development and […]
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15 July 2015
A major weakness of transparency policies at the World Bank and other aid agencies is the lack of information about the implementation of projects, according to a Brookings Institute report. “What is evident is that there remains a critical gap, especially when it comes to the timely and accessible disclosure of information during project Implementation,” […]
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26 October 2012
International financial institutions fared poorly in the “freedom of information” category of the recently issued ratings by Publish What Your Fund. Although the development banks ranked high overall on the 43 factors used, their scores in the access to information category merited red dots. The red dots signified “poor legislation” in the category, just one […]
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27 September 2012
The Asian Development Bank Sept. 27 appointed the three members of its new Independent Appeals Panel to review appeals under its revised Public Communications Policy. The panel members, who will serve for three years, are: Surasee Kosolnavin is a former executive director of Thailand’s Official Information Commission. An attorney, he was a commissioner of the […]
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25 June 2012
The Asian Development Bank June 25 announced the appointment of three “transparency experts” who will serve as members of a new Independent Appeals Panel. The panel members are: Surasee Kosolnavin is a former executive director of Thailand’s Official Information Commission. An attorney, he was a commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand and […]
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9 April 2012
By Tea Soentoro Network Advocacy Coordinator, NGO Forum on ADB The Asian Development Bank failed to make a breakthrough of providing a policy that improves better access of affected people to information about program and projects that change their lives and livelihoods. This conclusion is derived from assessing the new Public Communications Policy (PCP), a […]
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6 January 2012
International financial institutions (IFIs) have “overbroad regimes of exceptions” in their transparency policies, according to a report issued by the Centre for Law and Democracy. Particularly troublesome are the exceptions relating to internal deliberations and third-party commercial information, according to the CLD report, prepared as a member of the Global Transparency Initiative, an international coalition advocating […]
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25 October 2011
The Asian Development Oct. 25 announced a new Communications Policy, revising its rules on disclosure and adding an appeals body. According to the Bank, the key changes include: earlier disclosure of core ADB documents, such as final proposals for country partnership strategies and sovereign project loans, subject to country consent. translation of summary project information into […]
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22 July 2011
The Global Transparency Initiative is urging the Asian Development Bank to improve its draft Public Communications Policy (PCP), saying it “now has a chance to jump ahead of the World Bank.” Addressing issues raised by GTI “would place the ADB at the forefront of IFIs in terms of adhering to the international standards regarding the […]
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28 January 2011
The Global Transparency Initiative (GTI) explained its proposals to improve the second draft of the Public Communications Policy (PCP) prepared by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) during a workshop in Manila Jan. 24 with key stakeholders, including senior ADB representatives. The ADB Board of Directors is scheduled to consider the draft PCP on Feb. 16. […]
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10 January 2011
The second draft of the proposed Public Communications Policy by the Asian Development Bank still needs improvement, according to comments submitted by the Global Transparency Initiative. While there have been come positive alterations, the regime of exceptions remains too narrow and the ADB needs to take more responsibility for ensuring access by affected people, according […]
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2 December 2010
By Toby McIntosh The Asian Development Bank Nov. 26 proposed to release more documents prior to Executive Board meetings than previously proposed and to create an appeals body for disclosure requestors. The ADB’s second draft revision of its public communications policy would somewhat expand the “simultaneous disclosure” policy, under which certain documents are made public […]
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21 June 2010
“Zero draft” is the informal phrase being used by Asian Development Bank officials to describe their opening proposal for a new Public Communications Policy. ADB officials hope to convey that the draft proposal is a starting point — a work in progress. But critics see the first draft as “a big zero.”
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4 June 2010
The Asian Development Bank June 4 issued proposed changes in its Public Communications Policy. Release of the “consultation draft” comes as the ADB commences a series of worldwide meetings. The first session will be June 15 in Canada, and the last is scheduled for August 2 in the Philippines. The ADB’s 12-country consultation schedule is posted online.
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17 February 2010
The Asian Development Bank has invited public comment by April 15 on its current disclosure policy, kicking off a review process that will involve a series of in-country consultations before a new policy is approved by the end of the year. The consultation plan was announced by the ADB February 16. After the first round […]
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17 July 2008
As its Public Communications Policy nears its third anniversary, the Asian Development Bank is coming up short of its own targets for routinely disclosing information and has frustrated civil society groups by denying several access requests. The ADB’s second report on the policy shows progress toward disclosure goals, but also indicates some gaps. For example, […]
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21 May 2007
In a detailed report on the first year of its revised disclosure policy, the Asian Development Bank says the rollout has gone pretty well, despite a few gaps concerning project-related information. One weakness concerned a primary source of information about projects under consideration. The Project Information Documents (PIDs) for proposed private sector projects are supposed […]
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19 April 2007
The African Development Bank is a year behind in conducting a review of its disclosure policy, and on writing a staff handbook on disclosure policy. According to the AfDB policy approved in March 2004, the Tunis-based Bank was to assess its policy after two years. The policy states, "Two years after the effectiveness of this […]
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12 September 2005
The Asian Development Bank has pulled markedly ahead of other international financial institutions in its standards for disclosure and civic participation, but like its sister international organizations the ADB continues make slow progress when measured against the increasingly refined transparency agenda of critics. In recent years several international finance institutions have adopted improved transparency policies, […]
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18 January 2005
The executive directors of the Asian Development Bank on Jan. 21 will discuss a “working paper” outlining plans to revamp the ADB disclosure policy that critics say remains deficient. The closed session is not intended as a decision-making meeting, but after months of drafting, the briefing signals that the policy rewrite is nearing completion. Pro-transparency […]
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21 December 2004
The Asian Development Bank’s second draft of a new communications policy is meeting with some praise, and also with continuing criticism. Common themes included: demands for more disclosure about private sector operations, recommendations for releasing the key documents as they go to the board, and appeals for an independent appeals process. The comments are posted […]
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5 November 2004
The release of the revised policy triggered a second public comment period, with a deadline of Nov. 24. Getting a decision by ADB board in early 2005 is the goal. The more detailed draft is accompanied by various appendices, including a lengthy accounting of the operational documents produced by the ADB and a description of […]
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21 July 2004
The protection of whistleblowers at four major multilateral development banks is deficient, according to a report by The Government Accounting Project. Using a 24-point checklist, the Washington-based nongovernmental organization said none of the four institutions merited a passing grade. Out of a total of 100 possible points, the World Bank rated 60, the Asian Development […]
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21 July 2004
Critics of the Asian Development Bank’s Proposed Disclosure Policy staged a walk-out of the ADB’s consultation in Bangalore, India, July 16, and issued a sharply critical statement in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The walk-out in Bangalore by civil society representatives came after they made a statement criticizing the procedures of the consultations as not representative, poorly planned […]
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21 July 2004
The Asian Development Bank July 2 announced a $400,000 technical assistance grant to “help make public service delivery more responsive to the poor by promoting greater civil society participation in resource allocation and budgeting.” The grant will go to selected regions of three countries, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The areas for the pilot projects […]
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21 July 2004
The deadline for the Asian Development Bank to rewrite its disclosure has been pushed back for a second time, with completion now targeted for March 2004. This was one bit of news from ADB officials during a June 21 consultation with about 30 persons about the draft disclosure policy held in Washington, D.C. After introductions […]
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9 June 2004
The Asian Development Bank is now about midway through its consultations concerning its proposals to change its disclosure policies. In a second report on the consultations, freedominfo.org covered the May 13 and 14 sessions in Hanoi. The story highlights a wide range of comments; including opposition from nongovernmental organizations to secrecy for sensitive information, resistance […]
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6 May 2004
JAKARTA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) met with Indonesian organizations in Jakarta April 27 to discuss its draft Public Communication Policy. Nongovernmental organizations involved in the first of 12 planned ADB consultations came to the conclusion that they were pleased with the ADB’s proposals to release some information that used to be secret, but […]
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18 March 2004
The consultation schedule for the disclosure policy review is now available on the ADB’s website. Date Location Contact Person 21 April 2004 Suva, Fiji Islands Mr. Bart W. Édes Office of External Relations, ADB Manila, Philippines Tel: +63 2 632 5293 Email: bedes@adb.org 23 April 2004 Sydney, Australia Mr. Bart W. Édes Office of External […]
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10 March 2004
The Asian Development Bank has issued a proposal to revise its disclosure policies and called for further public comment by May 28. Although the Feb. 28 draft does not propose dramatic changes, such as the disclosure of certain key draft documents, it does include numerous suggestions for more disclosure. The accompanying report is exuberant about […]
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1 August 2003
The Asian Development Bank Aug. 8 officially kicked off its disclosure policy review by asking for public comments on the current policies. Anticipating a year-long process, the ADB has established a web site (http://www.adb.org/Disclosure/default.asp). It provides links to relevant background documents, the review timeline, and contact information for sending comments and asking questions about the […]
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1 July 2003
The Asian Development Bank has kicked off its review of the ADB information disclosure policy, appointing a steering committee to manage the effort. The five-person steering committee, composed of senior-level Bank officials, which held a closed meeting May 29, announced plans to “bear in mind the views of all stakeholders. The ADB opening a new […]
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1 May 2003
The Bank Information Center and 54 civil society organizations from different parts of the world have urged the Asian Development Bank “to ensure meaningful civil society participation” as it begins a reviews of its Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information Policy. The ADB has yet to officially announce the start of its disclosure policy review, but […]
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21 January 2003
Early in 2003, the Asian Development Bank will be announcing a new policy on information disclosure, an ADB official has told freedominfo.org. The Bank intends to take action in the first quarter of 2003, the official said, following an internal review that has been under way for more than a year. During that time, the […]
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22 November 2002
By Richard Sine The Cambodia Daily, November 22, 2002 Three years ago, a major study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank found forests here so depleted, and cutting rates so rapid, that logging was only viable for a few more years on most concessions. In plans made public last week, every logging company appears to […]
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1 October 2002
By Shalmali Guttal, Focus on the Global South, October 2002 Multilateral institutions such as the Asian Development Band (ADB) and the World Bank pride themselves on their information disclosure policies. Especially since the Asian economic crisis, they have held their policies up as evidence of their commitment to transparency, accountability and participation. Information disclosure policies […]
