Background information on ASEAN Initiative on ESC

ASEAN is committed to pursuing sustainable development and has demonstrated this commitment through ASEAN Vision 2020 which calls for:

“A clean and green ASEAN with fully established mechanisms for sustainable development to ensure the protection of the region’s environment, the sustainability of its natural resources, and the high quality of life of its peoples.”

At the 10th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Haze held in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 4 March 2003, ASEAN Environment Ministers had endorsed the Regional Environmental Sustainability Cities Programme (RESCP). The Ministers had also agreed to set up an ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities (AWGESC) with Singapore as the chair to drive the RESCP.

At the “Workshop on Environmentally Sustainable Cities in ASEAN” held in Singapore on 2-4 December 2003, the AWGESC has developed the Framework on Environmentally Sustainable Cities in ASEAN. The Framework maps out the vision, principles and scope under the RESCP. It identifies the goals, objectives, strategies and activities/programmes for the environmental issues:

1. Clean Air

2. Clean Water

3. Clean Land

24 cities in ASEAN countries are participating in the RESCP and they will be using the best practices to help the cities to develop and fine-tune their action programmes in implementing the Framework.

ASEAN Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Cities

When the RESCP was conceived, the focus was on developing specific action programmes and activities to achieve Clean Air, Clean Water and Clean Land. The RESCP may not be comprehensive and it would need to be broadened beyond action programmes and activities to encompass strategies, policies and philosophies of environmental sustainability.

In light of the above, the AWGESC proposes an ASEAN Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Cities. This Initiative will be a movement for ASEAN participating cities to strive for environmental sustainability beyond the scope of Clean Air, Clean Water and Clean Land to include green and blue issues in the future.

The proposed Initiative will cover the following:

1. ASEAN Implementation Plan for Environmentally Sustainable City (ESC)
   To develop an ASEAN Implementation Plan for ESC for each of the 23 ASEAN cities.

2. ASEAN Network on Environmentally Sustainable Cities
   To establish an ASEAN Network on ESC for the 23 participating ASEAN cities and their partners.

The Network will provide the following:

1. Sharing and exchanging of best practices
   A platform for officials of the 23 participating ASEAN cities to share and exchange their experiences and best practices in environmental management and protection.

2. Capacity Development
   A means for ASEAN participating cities to articulate their needs in capacity development. Through this Network, prospective partners, including private sector partners, can tailor to their assistance to the needs of the ASEAN participating cities.
    

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