Regional environment senior officials gather in Laos

The 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) kicked off in the Lao capital city of Vientiane on August 26.
The 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment(ASOEN) kicked off in the Lao capital city of Vientiane on August 26.

Addressingthe opening ceremony, Moemany Nhoybouakong, head of the Lao delegationand Vice Chair of the 25th ASOEN meeting, highlighted challenges anddifficulties that ASEAN needs to solve, suggesting the bloc intensifycooperation in the region to deal with impacts of climate changesustainably and encourage the private sector’s active involvement in theuse and management of natural resources.

Sheaffirmed the Lao Government’s strong commitments to implement principlesof the ASEAN Agreement on Trans-boundary Haze Pollution and otherenvironment-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 climatechange, marine and coastal environment, education on environment andnatural conservation and bio-diversity, as well as reports on watersource management and ASEAN cooperation in environmental technology andsustainable consumption and production are also expected to be deliveredat the event.

The meeting’s outcomes will be submitted tothe 15th unofficial meeting of ASEAN environment ministers scheduled forOctober 27-31./.

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