Cooperation in Environment
The ASEAN Senior Officials on the
Environment (ASOEN) was launched at the
Fourth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the
Environment in Malaysia on 18-19 June 1990
and the lst Meeting of ASOEN was convened
immediately after the launching to discuss
the following tasks assigned to them by the
Ministerial Meeting :-
i. seek congruence on environmental
quality standards in ASEAN;
ii. develop common contingency plan to
deal with pollution resulting from
maritime disasters;
iii. deal with issues of transboundary
pollution;
iv. develop cooperation efforts in the
conservation of biological diversity;
v. assess economic matters pertaining to
environmental and resource management;
vi. increase environmental education and
awareness in the region; and
vii. make the necessary changes to ASEP III
in line with the functions of ASOEN.
2 To undertake these important and challenging
tasks and implement the provisions of
the Kuala Lumpur Accord it was agreed that
ASOEN memberships shall be composed of
appropriately designated senior officials of
Environment Ministries or equivalent agencies
of respective ASEAN countries, and/or others
specifically designated by the Environment
Ministers or Heads of equivalent agencies of the
ASEAN member countries". This signifies the
seriousness and determination ASEAN attaches
to the protection of the environment and the
promotion of sustainable development through
joint cooperative endeavours.
3 Six Working Groups were established by
ASOEN to plan and implement project activities
in their respective field of environment, and
the chairmanship of each Working Group was
assigned to each member country. The tenure of
office of the chairman of ASOEN and the
chairman of Working Groups would be for 3
years. The coordination of projects under the
purview of the various Working Groups is the
responsibility of the respective Working Group
Chairman. With immediate effect, the ASEAN
Environment Newsletter becomes the responsibility
of the ASEAN Working Group on Environmental
Information, Public Awareness and
Education.
For more information, please refer to the
project details