APCOM successfully organized the 2nd Asian Development Bank (ADB) Learning Week in collaboration with the ADB and regional organizations in Asia and the Pacific including ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC), ILGA Asia, Intersex Asia, ILGA Oceania, and Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network (PSGDN) on 21-23 October 2024 in Manila, the Philippines.
The second learning week entitled Learning Sessions on Inclusive Development for Sexual and Gender Minorities brought together more than 25 activists, civil society organizations and human rights defenders in Asia and the Pacific for learning sessions with ADB management and staff on development inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) issues, needs, and concerns.
The learning week was hosted by the ADB at their headquarters in Manila, which saw panel discussions, a World Café, and reflections from civil society organization (CSO) participants emphasized the importance of ADB projects that are informed by risks and opportunities, the intersectionality of SOGIESC with poverty and social issues, and the policy environment that allows or disallows access to resources, social services and opportunities to participate in project planning and implementation.
The learning week saw discussions on demystifying SOGIESC for inclusive development, integrating SOGIESC perspectives in development projects, advancing SOGIESC inclusion in multilateral development bank (MDB) operations, and managing SOGIESC risks and sensitivities in ADB operations. Other issues raised when engaging LGBTQI organizations in development projects include protecting confidentiality of their participation in project consultations, identifying government champions for CSO and LGBTQI participation, and forming a SOGIESC advisory group at the corporate, country or project level.
See also:
1st
ADB Learning Week
Report
