The issue of transboundary pollution was first highlighted in the 1990 Kuala Lumpur Accord on Environment and Development. The 1992 Singapore Summit identified it as among the major environmental concerns of ASEAN. Accordingly, the issue was addressed in the 1992 Singapore Resolution on Environment, and in the 1994 Bandar Seri Begawan Resolution on Environment and Development.

At the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment held in Kuching, Malaysia on 21 October 1994, the Ministers discussed the problems of transboundary pollution and agreed that ASEAN should collaborate actively to build up member countries expertise and capacity to address the problem and minimise its effects. As a result, an ASEAN Meeting on the Management of Transboundary Pollution was held in Kuala Lumpur in June 1995, and it adopted the ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Pollution.

The ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Pollution consists of three programme areas, namely: Transboundary Atmospheric Pollution, Transboundary Ship-borne Pollution and Trdnsboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes. In each programme area, the objectives, strategies, activities and institutional arrangements are further elaborated. The Plan of Cooperation also contains a section on resources and extra regional support which describes the various sources of technical expertise and financial assistance that are available or can be mobilised to support ASEAN's efforts in implementing the Plan. The Plan further includes a section on implementation and evaluation which outlines the steps required to implement the Plan and evaluate the progress made.

The ASEAN Plan of Cooperation on Transboundary Pollution represents a significant milestone in ASEAN environmental cooperation and reflects the common resolve of ASEAN member countries to join hands in addressing an important problem facing the region.

Dato Ajit Singh
Secretary General of ASEAN