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dam-l LS: Conference on ADB and Mekong in Sydney

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ACCOUNTING FOR DEVELOPMENT 
Australia and the Asian Development Bank in the Mekong Region
Conference 
June 23-24, 2000
University Of Sydney, Australia 
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BACKGROUND
Home to some of the poorest people in Southeast Asia, the Mekong region has 
been the focus of a major development effort by the Asian Development Bank 
(ADB) in the 1990s.
Emphasising regional economic integration, market liberalisation and 
large-scale infrastructure development, the ADB's approach has also sparked 
significant controversy and debate over how the interests of key 
stakeholders - particularly rural communities, national governments and 
private enterprise - are best served.
As a major shareholder and donor to the ADB, the Australian government 
plays an important role in the governance of the Bank. Nonetheless, the 
ADB is still little known in the Australian community, curtailing public 
input into our role.
The Conference will explore the three-way linkages between Australia, 
development in the Mekong region and the ADB with a view to encouraging 
greater public debate and scrutiny within Australia of the Bank's activities.
THEMES AND SPEAKERS
The Conference will be held over two days, with a mixture of plenary 
sessions, small group workshops and panel discussions. Key themes include:
· Livelihoods and development dilemmas in the Mekong 
· The ADB in the Mekong - hydropower development, privatisation and poverty 
alleviation 
· Institutions, governance and civil society 
· Australia and the ADB - influence, accountability and responsibility
Selected speakers include:
· Dr Le Quang Minh Can Tho University, Vietnam 
· Walden Bello Director, Focus on the Global South, Thailand 
· Pasuk Phongpaichit Professor of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, 
Thailand, (Author of several books on Thailand's political economy 
including 'Thailand's Boom and Bust'.) 
· Witoon Permpongsacharoen Director, Towards Ecological Recovery & Regional 
Alliances, Thailand 
· Sayamol Kaiyoorawon Project for Ecological Recovery (PER) Thailand 
· Mak Sithirith NGO Forum on Cambodia 
· John Lockhart Australian Executive Director, The Asian Development Bank 
· Ross Muir AusAid 
· The Honorable Lee Rhiannon Member of the Legislative Council of NSW 
· Mr Jeremy Hobbs Executive Director, Community Aid Abroad 
· Dr Philip Hirsch Director of Australian Mekong Resource Centre, and 
Associate Professor of Geography, University of Sydney 
· Satoru Matsumoto Director, Mekong Watch, Japan
Plus a number of other speakers from government and NGOs in the Mekong 
region, as well as representatives from the Asian Development Bank and the 
Australian NGO community.
PARTICIPANTS AND REGISTRATION
The Conference should be of interest to policy-makers, government agencies, 
development practitioners, researchers, educators, NGOs, the media and 
interested members of the public.
Registration Fees:
Institution / company: $100 
NGOs / Community Groups / Individuals: $50 
Student / Concession Holders: $30
For more information or to register for the conference, contact the 
Australian Mekong Resource Centre at Sydney University.
Tel: 02-9351 7796 Fax: 02-9351 3644 
Email: mekong@geography.usyd.edu.au 
Website: www.usyd.edu.au/su/geography/mekong
The Conference is hosted by the Australian Mekong Resource Centre (AMRC) at 
Sydney University, in collaboration with: 
· Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA) 
· Community Aid Abroad - Oxfam Australia 
· AID/WATCH 
· Jubilee 2000 
· ACT Mekong Group
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Note: An optional 3-hour 'primer workshop' will be held in the afternoon 
of June 22 to examine the issues, introduce the key stakeholders and set 
the context for the Conference for those with less prior knowledge. Cost: 
$20. Please contact the AMRC if you want to register for this session.
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In Canberra.... a public meeting to discuss issues raised at the 
Accounting for Development Conference will be held at:
Havelock House, 85 Northbourne Avenue, Turner 
at 7.30pm on Wednesday, 28 June
Conference participants from the Mekong region will speak. Supper will be 
served
For more information, please contact the ACT office of Community Aid Abroad 
6257 4472 
Or call / email Charlie on 6262 7017, charliep@apex.net.au
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Aviva Imhof
South-East Asia Campaigner
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley CA 94703 USA
Tel: + 1 510 848 1155 (ext. 312), Fax: + 1 510 848 1008
Email: aviva@irn.org, Web: http://www.irn.org
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