TAI in Asia SEA: Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee, TEI SA: Lalanath de Silva, WRI TAI Global Meeting, April 25-27, 2006, Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok

TAI in Southeast Asia Have undertaken the TAI assessment (s) Gearing towards the TAI assessment Showing interest, building up coalition

TAI Southeast Asia - Countries 1. Brunei 2. Cambodia 3. East Timor 4. Indonesia (national, ; regional, ) 5. Laos 6. Malaysia 7. Myanmar 8. Philippines (2005-6) 9. Singapore 10. Thailand (2001, , ) 11. Vietnam (2006)

TAI-Thailand Thailand Environment Institute (TAI Core Team Member)  Help develop the TAI Methodology from the beginning  Lead the TAI-Thailand coalition and the assessments  Expand TAI network to Southeast Asian countries

Pilot National Assessment in Thailand (Jun-Dec 2001) Research Team (total 11 persons):  TEI  King Prajadhipok’s Institute  NGO-Coordinating Committee on Development  Independent experts Review of the findings by a National Review Committee (9 persons) Dissemination Conference on Dec 25, 2001 in BKK Publication (1 st ed copies and 2 nd ed copies) to be distributed to government agencies, educational institutions and CSOs Publication posted on TEI website

2 nd National Assessment in Thailand (Nov Mar 2005) Research Team (total 17 persons):  TEI  King Prajadhipok’s Institute  Sustainable Development Foundation  National Human Rights Commission of Thailand  Independent experts from CSOs and government agencies (DWR and DIW) Advisory Panel (16 persons) Public Review Seminar on July 25, 2005 in Bangkok Publication (3,000 copies) Publication will be posted on TEI’s website shortly Outreach materials being prepared

3 rd National Assessment in Thailand (on-going) Research Team (total 16 persons):  TEI  King Prajadhipok’s Institute  Sustainable Development Foundation  National Human Rights Commission of Thailand  Independent experts from CSOs and government agencies (DWR and DEQP) Advisory Panel (invitation process) Preparation of TAI Toolkit for Grass root NGOs

National TAI Assessment (2001-2) Lead: Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) Regional TAI Assessments (2004-5) Gunung Kidul and Bandung Lead (Gunung Kidul):Lapera Lead (Bandung):Legal Aid Foundation Bandung Translating TAI indicators into local indicators TAI-Indonesia

TAI-Indonesia (cont’d) Outreach Activities: Preparing the publication of national and regional assessment reports, Local TAI Toolkit, Access pocket books for 4 different stakeholders: government officials, MPs, business, and laypersons Series of seminars and trainings at local and national levels, preparing national festival on environmental democracy Encouraging stakeholders at local level to actualize the Access principles (e.g., Mayor of Gunung Kidul already made political commitments and has been preparing local regulation on transparency and public participation, creation of local community groups (local leaders and community radio groups) disseminating info. about gov. policies to the public) Planning to develop PP10 at national and local level

TAI-Philippines Lead: Maximo T. Kalaw Institute for Sustainable Development (MTKISD) TAI-Philippines Core Team, Environment Broadcast Circle, MTKISD, Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center 10 NGO members under CT October 17-19, 2005: The TAI Training Workshop held with support from WRI and TEI (resource person) The research on the General Legal Framework completed and gearing towards research on the Case Studies (first draft by June, 2006)

TAI-Vietnam  Trip to Vietnam on November 21-23, 2006, meeting with 7 active CSOs to introduce TAI activities  Lead organizations for the TAI- Vietnam coalition emerged-- VACNE and IUCN VN  Subagreement being processed  Planning a TAI Methodology Training Workshop in Hanoi in May 2006 Dr. Peter Moore and Mr. Bernard O'Callaghan at IUCN Vietnam Office Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Sinh and Dr. Nguyen Hoang Yen at VACNE office

Future TAI-Malaysia? January 18-19, 2006: P10 Workshop was organized by British High Commission (BHC) KL to introduce TAI and to identify prospective Malaysian CSO partners April 4, 2006: A follow-up meeting in Malaysia was held again by BHC KL. The Malaysian Environmental NGO Network will take up the lead in the implementation of P10 and work together with the Freedom of Information Coalition (FoIC)

Future TAI-Malaysia? (cont’d) The coalitions intends to produce a strategy paper by June on how P10 processes could be best implemented in the country, taking into account the current political scenarios. A training session for MENGO and FoI coalition members on P10 and TAI processes will be carried out in Sept. Two regional workshops in Central and Eastern regions of Peninsular Malaysia for the wider public and civil societies will be hosted in Oct/Nov to disseminate vital information on P10 processes. To support this, a handbook on P10, which contains vital information such as a directory of information sources will be published in Oct and disseminated widely.

SEA-Future Plans TAI Training workshop in Vietnam Explore possibility in other countries in SEA and EA regions Strengthen the regional network Fundraising for regional activities Regional meeting in 2007 and regional report PP10: Coordinate with TAI partners to follow-up with their country gov. representatives

TAI in South Asia Lalanath de Silva (WRI – TAI Global Secretariat)

TAI South Asia - Countries Afghanistan Bangladesh (2005) Bhutan India (2001) Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka (2005)

TAI India Lead: Environment Support Group 2001 PRIA – Pilot Assessment 2004 IDMA Fndn - Chandigarh 2004 Bangalore Workshops National Coalition formed 2004 Bangalore Statement Karnataka State assessment started in October 2005

TAI Bangladesh Lead: Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association National Coalition formed October 2005 – 3 NGOs TAI proposal and budget prepared. Awaiting funds.

TAI Sri Lanka Lead: the Public Interest Law Foundation National Coalition formed Nov – 6 leading NGOs/Research Orgs. TAI SA/Aus Training Wkshp Dec 2005 – Colombo National Assessment started April 2006.

South Asia – Future Plans Pakistan: Searching for Partners Nepal: Pro Public – Political situation Regional Lead: Too early to tell Fundraising: Needs to happen locally Regional Meeting: Asia 2007 (?) PP10: Talking to Sri Lanka Government