The 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) kicked off in the Lao capital city of Vientiane on August 26.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Moemany Nhoybouakong, head of the Lao delegation and Vice Chair of the 25th ASOEN meeting, highlighted challenges and difficulties that ASEAN needs to solve, suggesting the bloc intensify cooperation in the region to deal with impacts of climate change sustainably and encourage the private sector’s active involvement in the use and management of natural resources.
She affirmed the Lao Government’s strong commitments to implement principles of the ASEAN Agreement on Trans-boundary Haze Pollution and other environment-related plans and strategies.
During the three-day meeting, delegates will hear reports on ASEAN environment ministerial meetings in the past year.
Proposals of ASOEN working groups on issues relating to climate change, marine and coastal environment, education on environment and natural conservation and bio-diversity, as well as reports on water source management and ASEAN cooperation in environmental technology and sustainable consumption and production are also expected to be delivered at the event.
The meeting’s outcomes will be submitted to the 15th unofficial meeting of ASEAN environment ministers scheduled for October 27-31./.
