ASEAN Case Study

Venue: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam)
When: January to June 2002

National and regional case studies in the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) with the aim of assessing the implementation of MEAs; identification of constraints in the management of these MEAs; and propose solutions towards effective implementation of MEAs.

One of the key areas of cooperation under the purview of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) is promoting synergies, coordination and effective implementation of Multilateral Environment Agreements (AWGMEA). For this purpose, the ASOEN Working Group on Multilateral Agreements has been established to facilitate and implement activities in this area.

A Workshop on Inter-Linkages was held in Kuala Lumpur on 26 and 27 February 2001 to discuss the opportunities for synergetic implementation of Multilateral Agreements at the regional and national levels. The UNU, the ASEAN Secretariat, the Ministry of Environment of Japan, Malaysian Ministry of Science Technology and the Environment (MOSTE), Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) and other partners jointly organized the Workshop. During the Workshop a special session involving all ASEAN member countries was held to discuss opportunities and challenges for the synergetic implementation of MEAs in the ASEAN region. One of the recommendations of the workshop was to conduct and ASEAN case study. This recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the 4th Meeting of the AWGMEA held in Chiangmai, Thailand in March 2001.

Based on these recommendations, the ASEAN Secretariat, together with the UNU and UNEP ROAP will be undertaking a case study in the 10 ASEAN countries on the negotiation and implementation of MEAs and their inter-linkages.

The specific areas that will be covered in the case study include:

1. An assessment of the status of ratification, implementation arrangements, and problems and constraints faced with the implementation of MEAs in ASEAN member countries.
   
2. Based on this preliminary assessment, identify opportunities and constraints in promoting synergies in implementation of MEAs at the regional and national level.
   
3. Draw up a proposal, taking into account the following case studies, incorporating suggestions for promoting synergies and effectiveness in implementing MEAs, including needs and resources in terms of finance, capacity and technology transfer and institutional arrangements.