COOPERATION IN ENVIRONMENT

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Two Meetings of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN) were held during the year under review : one in Bangkok in July 1993 and the other in Bandar Seri Begawan in April 1994. The meetings resulted in five major outputs, which were consequently adopted at the 6th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) held in Bandar Seri Begawan on April 1994. The major outputs were as follows:

1. the Bandar Seri Begawan Resolution on Environment and Development;
   
   
2. the ASEAN Strategic Plan of Action on the Environment (ASPEN);
   
   
3. the ASEAN Environment Year 1995,
   
   
4. the ASEAN Harmonized Environmental Quality Standards for Ambient Air Quality and River Water Quality; and
   
   
5. Post-UNCED Issues: ASEAN's Priorities and Responses.

The Bandar Seri Begawan Resolution on Environment and Development embodies ASEAN's commitment to implement measures to promote sustainable development in the region. Among others, the Resolution provides for the implementation of the ASEAN Strategic Plan of Action on the Environment (I 994-1998). The Plan of Action introduces policy measures to encourage the integration of environmental factors in all developmental processes both at the national and regional levels. It also establishes long-term goals on environmental quality and harmonized environmental quality standards for the ASEAN region.. Furthermore, the Plan of Action seeks to harmonize policy directions and enhance operational and technical cooperation on environmental matters among ASEAN Member Countries so that they could take joint actions to address common environmental problems.

To achieve the objectives in the Plan, the Member Countries agreed on a number of important strategies, which are also embodied in the Plan. These include:

1. the development of a regional framework for integrating environment and development concerns in the decision-making process;
   
   
2. the promotion of government-private sector interactions to support the thrust of the sector;
   
   
3. the strengthening of the knowledge and information base, as well as institutional and legal capacities, to implement international agreements on environment.

The Bandar Seri Begawan Resolution also adopted a set of Harmonized Environmental Quality Standards for Ambient Air Quality and River Water Quality to be achieved by all ASEAN Member Countries by the year 2010. In complying with these standards, priority would be given to urban and industrial areas where the problems are more severe.

The 6th AMME declared 1995 as the ASEAN Environment Year to highlight ASEAN environmental issues and cooperative programmes in order to stimulate awareness in the ASEAN region. The ASEAN Environment Year will also help broaden the participatory process for the environment in ASEAN, and stimulate regional activities in the environmental area. The theme "ASEAN Environment Year: Green and Clean" was chosen for the ASEAN Environment Year which would be launched by all Member Countries on I January 1995. Regional and national activities, such as environment camps for ASEAN youth, trade fairs for environmentally sound and friendly products and technologies, tree planting and national essay, photo and art competitions, will be held throughout the year.

Another Important commitment made at the 6th AMME was for Member Countries to ensure the effective implementation of the decisions of the Second Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. This is necessary to enhance regional cooperation in the management and control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes into and within the ASEAN region. A meeting on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes will be held in Indonesia in the near future.

The Ministers reiterated that ASEAN. as a vibrant and viable region, could play a meaningful role in implementing Agenda 21, which is a plan of action at the global level to protect the environment. In this respect, the Ministers cited that ASEAN has made every effort to achieve greater self-reliance in environmental management. However, the efforts have been hampered by the lack of specialized skills, inadequate capacity, and limited financial resources. The Ministers, therefore, called for the immediate and meaningful implementation of the commitments by developed countries as contained in Agenda 2 1. In this regard, the Ministers adopted a common position on ASEAN's priorities and responses to post UNCED developments. The Ministers further agreed to articulate ASEAN's concerns in various international fora such as the meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) held in New York in May 1994.

The six Working Groups of the ASOEN have pursued activities within their respective areas of competence. Among the notable accomplishments were the following:

1. The ASEAN Working Group on ASEAN Seas and Marine Environment (WGASME) has been updating the existing data on the Directory of Agencies and Institutions Involved in Monitoring and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas Region.
   
   
2. The Working Group on Environmental Economics (WGEE) convened a Training Workshop on Concepts and Methods of Natural Resources and Environmental Accounting which was organized in Bogor lndonesia, from 14-17 October 1993. A project on Trade and the Environment under the ASEAN-UNDP ASP-5 was proposed for endorsement by the 5th ASOEN Meeting and approved by the 6th AMME.
   
   
3. A symposium on Marine Turtle Conservation Programme was organized by the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation (WGNC) in Manila in December 1993. There was steady progress in the Management of Transfrontier Parks and Other Protected Areas for Conservation within the ASEAN Region.
   
   
4. The ASEAN Working Group on Transboundary Pollution (WGTP) has been working on the Publication of a Booklet on ASEAN Countries Achievements and Future Directions in Environment Pollution Control. A Workshop on the Framework Convention on Climate Change to develop an ASEAN agenda for the control and reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases was planned to be organized by WGTP.
   
   
5. The ASEAN Working Group on Environment Management (WGEM) had endorsed a project proposal on Waste Water Treatment Technology Transfer and Cleaner Production Demonstration, which was considered for funding under the ASEAN-Australia AAECP Phase III Cooperation.
   
   
6. Following ASEAN's declaration that the Year 1995 as the ASEAN Environment Year, the ASEAN Working Group on Environmental Information, Public Awareness and Education (WGEIPAE) prepared the Action Plan for the ASEAN Environmental Year 1995. The 6th AMME adopted the theme "ASEAN Environment Year 1995: Green and Clean". The event will promote awareness on ASEAN environment issues and cooperative programmes among member countries by implementing national and regional activities on environment.
   
   
7. In addition, the WGEIPAE have obtained ad referendum approval for the project on ASEAN Network for Environment Management (ASNEM). This project will strengthen ASEAN's capability in environment monitoring, through the promotion of research programmes on specific monitoring activities and cooperation in equipment standardization.

Environment projects funded by Australia under AAECP Phase III progressed during the year. These projects were, namely: Waste Water Treatment Technology & Cleaner Production Demonstration, Coastal Zone Environmental and Resources Management; Environmentally Sound Energy Production and Waste Disposal from Biomass/waste Supplemented by Fossil Fuels; and Electricity and the Environment: A Framework for Decision Making in the ASEAN Region.

The project on Transboundary Pollution of Hazardous and Acidic Deposition in ASEAN Countries, submitted to Australia, is still being studied for funding viability under other AIDAB programmes. With regard to the ASEAN Waterbirds and Wetlands Management Project, Australia has provided A$ 100,000 for it.

The ASEAN Environment Project (EIP), funded under the USAID, has awarded a contract to Louis Berger International Inc. (LBII) to manage the project. A work programme for its implementation has yet to be approved by the project steering committee.

Under the ASEAN-UNDP 4th Cycle Programme, ASEAN saw the completion of the project on Anti-Pollution Technologies for Urban & Rural Areas. The project assisted ASEAN in achieving self-reliance in environment management through the development of and exchange of research on indigenous technology for waste disposal, and through the provision of equipment and the modification of techniques to deal with air and noise pollution.

Furthermore, the 5th ASOEN Meeting has adopted the ASP-5 Sub-Programme on Trade and Environment for implementation under the ASEAN-UNDP 5th Cycle Programme (ASP-5). The Sub-Programme contains programme elements on linkages between trade and environment issues, ASEAN's external trade-related environmental policies, national level studies and feasibility studies for modelling ASEAN economic-environment interactions.