Alarmed with Japan’s aggressive campaign of establishing bilateral free trade agreements, such as those inked with the Philippines and Thailand which contain provisions that would facilitate trade in hazardous wastes and other globally controlled and banned substances, the civil society groups are perturbed by Japan’s influence over the institution, and that the ADB might become an unwitting tool in promoting hazardous waste trade in the Asian region.

“Japan holds a considerable stake at the ADB. It would be naïve to think that Japanese waste trade policy will not influence the ADB,” said Takeshi Yasuma of Citizens Against Chemical Pollution. “The harsh reality is that if ADB puts funds for 3R projects this can sway developing countries to accepting the unpalatable – toxic wastes from Japan and other developed nations.”

The 3R Initiative has been criticized by civil society groups as an antiquated waste management policy that fails to hold the generators, exporters responsible for their wastes. To these groups, the 3Rs lacks a crucial fourth R – Responsibility. The ADB was set to release its 3Rs Reports at the meeting in May, but this event was cancelled and later moved to November 2007 in Manila instead.

The civil society groups felt that AGM Meeting in Kyoto was a good time to raise their concerns to the ADB where open discussions were being conducted regarding the Bank’s Safeguard Policies that covers the environment, indigenous people and involuntary resettlement.

“The ADB must not allow itself to be a puppet of Japanese waste colonialism and remain true to its mandate of alleviating poverty in Asia, which is already decades behind,” said Richard Gutierrez, Director of Basel Action Network, Asia-Pacific. “The strengthening of ADB’s environmental safeguards is an important equation in this formula, any dilution or erosion of the standards would be a huge step backwards.”

The civil society groups call on the ADB to:

1. Develop a nuanced policy that is progressive and sustainable that respects developing country needs and international agreements, such as the Basel Convention and its decisions, that upholds the rights of marginalized communities and sensitive populations, and takes into consideration the positive aspects of the 3R Initiative.
   
   
2. Conduct an open and democratic process in the deliberation and development of a waste management policy for Asia that ensures active civil society involvement in all stages of the policy deliberation.
   
   
3. Assist Asian governments to embark on a serious program to prevent hazardous and other wastes at source via toxics use reductions, stopping planned obsolescence, and holding manufacturers accountable for their products.

End

For more information:

See attached Japan’s Policy on Toxic Wastes Trade, 3R Initiative and EPA/FTA, or visit www.ban.org.

Contact:

Takeshi Yasuma, Citizens Against Chemical Pollution, in Tokyo, Tel. 81 3 5836 4358;
e-mail: ac7t-ysm@asahi-net.or.jp.

Richard Gutierrez, Basel Action Network, in Manila, Tel. 63 0917 506 7724;
e-mail: rgutierrez@ban.org.

[1] Basel Action Network (Asia-Pacific), Citizens Against Chemical Pollution, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Kansai Action Center on Philippine Human Rights Issues, No-to-WTo/FTA Grassroots Campaign, and Waste Trade Watch Network.