The supervisory role played by the Vietnamese civil society in the
implementation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s sponsor policies
was discussed at a seminar in Hanoi on May 28.
The event was co-organised by the Centre for Water Resources
Conservation and Development (WARECOD) and the Vietnam River Network
(VRN).
The seminar provides a clear panorama of the
implementation of the bank’s communication and sponsor policies while
creating an alliance of civil society organisations in this field, said
Hoang Phuong Thao, Director of Action Aid, an international
non-governmental organisation dedicated to worldwide poverty reduction.
According to Dang Ngoc Quang from the VRN, most ADB-funded projects have failed to fulfil all set commitments.
The VRN has organised an array of activities to supervise ADB-funded
projects such as Song Bung 4 Hydropower Plant and the Son La-Nho
Quan-Hoa Binh 500 KV transmission line, he said.
It
has also met with local people to study the projects’ impacts on their
lives and sent collected recommendations to the ADB, he added.
Accordingly, the bank should detail policies in Vietnamese regarding
compensation, livelihood recovery and resettlement for ethnic groups, as
well as consultation outcomes with local communities.
Vietnam is one of the countries to receive the largest amount of
financial support and loans from the bank, which significantly
contribute to the country’s infrastructure development and natural
resource management.-VNA