The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB) have touted themselves as the much-needed alternatives to the Western-dominated traditional International Finance Institutions (IFIs) like the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The two new banks entered the development financing landscape to much fanfare with their mandate of catering to the development needs of the South, particularly in building sustainable infrastructure. Five years into their operation, how do they fare in relation to commitments on sustainable development, development cooperation, and people’s rights in Asia-Pacific?
The research published by The Reality of Aid – Asia Pacific (RoA-AP) and CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) Asia investigates and scrutinizes the nature of AIIB and NDB in relation to the Banks’ governance and power structures, “green” investments, adherence to Development Effectiveness Principles especially that of transparency and accountability, and neoliberal policies that effectively capture sustainable development and shrink civic space.
In this brownbag to be facilitated by RoA-AP, the four (4) contributors will present their findings on how the projects of the two Banks have affected the communities in Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia as well as relevant updates on the Banks’ performance in their regions to date.
The AIIB will hold its Annual Meeting on July 28, 2020. This brownbag aims to popularize the calls and recommendations of CSOs. RoA-AP will send a copy of the research and the recorded webinar to the media division of the Bank.
DATE July 24, 2020, Friday, 3:00-4:00 pm (Manila time)
ZOOM LINK https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85866050323
PROGRAM
- 3:00 pm Introduction (5 mins)
- 3:05 pm Discussion (30 mins)
- 3:35 pm Q&A (20 mins)
- 3:55 pm Wrap up (5 mins)
- 4:00 pm End
SPEAKERS
- Farida Abdyldaeva, Public Association “The Right Step” on the “Opportunities and Threats in Central Asia”
- Jiten Yumnam, Center for Research and Advocacy – Manipur on the “Financing Concerns on the Operations of AIIB and NDB in South Asia”
- Kurniawan Sabar, Institute for National and Democracy Studies on the “AIIB Financial Support for Indonesia’s Mandalika SEZ Deprives People’s Rights”
- Jennifer Guste, Council for People’s Development and Governance on the “China lending in the Philippines, No Strings Attached?”
This Brownbag will be livestreamed via RoA-AP’s Facebook.
DOWNLOAD the research here.