ASEAN countries paying more attention to environmental cooperation

ASEAN member countries have been paying ever greater attention to environmental cooperation, a meeting held by the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on December 17 heard.

At the 31st Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment and Related Meetings on November 24-27, 2020

The meeting reviewed the operation of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) as well as the implementation of Vietnam’s related initiatives during its ASEAN Chairmanship 2020.

Nguyen Van Tai, head of the VEA, said ASEAN countries joined hands this year in containing the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing priority environmental issues in the region such as climate change, the marine environment, chemicals and waste, and water resources management, among others.

Nguyen Thanh Nga from ASOEN Vietnam said the country successfully organised the 31st meeting of ASOEN in the form of a teleconference in November.

Vietnam has demonstrated its efforts and resolve to complete its assigned tasks, contributing significantly to regional integration in natural resources and environment, she said.

ASOEN Vietnam has actively contributed to the grouping’s environmental cooperation documents, Nga went on, adding that it has completed the building of a website that aims to popularise ASOEN’s activities as well as its cooperation with partners.

It will play a more active role in regional cooperation next year, particularly in climate change, environmental education, environmentally-sustainable cities, chemicals and waste, climate change, nature and biodiversity conservation, and water resources management, she said.

It will also launch the fifth ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City Award 2021./.

VNA