The Meeting of Senior Officials on Environmental Cooperation in North-East Asia acts as the Governing Body for the Programme. It provides overall policy guidance as well as project coordination and management to the Programme.
The Meeting of Senior Officials makes all policy decisions concerning substantive and financial matters related to the Programme and, in particular to:
Keep the Programme under constant review, with a view to identify further areas of cooperation and project-related activities in a step-by-step approach.
Review the process in implementing the Programme and projects and evaluate the results achieved.
Approve the budget and work-plan of the Programme and projects.
Facilitate the formulation of a common framework of policies on sub-regional and global environmental issues over time.
Review the institutional and financial arrangements for the sub-regional cooperation and suggest appropriate mechanisms.
Serve as a forum for sharing experience on policy matters, information exchange, consultation and stocktaking on activities which would promote environmental cooperation in North-East Asia.
The Meetings of Senior Officials on Environmental Cooperation in North-East Asia are to be held, in principle, annually in the country of one of the Participating Parties, on a rotating basis.
The Meetings work toward practical institutional and financial arrangements for the Programme, as appropriate.
Secretariat and Collaborating Agencies
During the interim period, the support of the UNESCAP secretariat to the Meeting of Senior Officials is requested in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and other relevant institutions, pending the final decision on the future institutional and financial arrangements of the Programme.
The United Nations bodies and agencies such as UNESCAP, UNDP and UNEP and multilateral financing institutions such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank are invited to assist in the implementation of the Programme, as their follow-up contribution to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in the North-East Asian subregion in accordance with chapter 38 of Agenda 21. Their technical, financial and managerial support will be sought on a continuing basis to further the work of the Programme. Other collaborating agencies are invited as necessary.
Financial Arrangement
Co-operative activities under NEASPEC were promoted initially through funds provided by the Asian Development Bank and other partner agencies as well as donor countries such as Japan and the Republic of Korea. The Framework for North-East Asia Subregional Cooperation, however, adopted at the Third Meeting of Senior Officials in Environmental Cooperation recognized the need for a Core Fund. The Sixth Meeting of Senior Officials (SOM-6), 2000 recommended the establishment of a Core Fund based on voluntary contribution of member countries of NEASPEC.
Since then the Core Fund has been established. The Seventh Meeting of Senior Officials of NEASPEC (SOM-7), 2001 noted that the establishment of the Core Fund reflected the will and determination of NEASPEC countries to strengthen subregional environmental cooperation. It was emphasized, however, the Core Fund could not solely depend on contributions from the Governments of participating countries and financial support for projects should not be solely dependent on the Core Fund.
To make the Core Fund sustainable, it was recommended that each participating country make a voluntary contribution in cash or kind to the Fund. While considering the modalities of operation of the Core Fund, it was emphasized that utilization should follow the principle of transparency. In addition, owing to the different levels of economic development of the participating countries, contributions to the Fund must not be based on predetermined assessments or scales.
It was emphasized that in using the Core Fund, priority should be accorded to the projects approved by the Meeting of Senior Officials and then to the preparation and development of potential projects for funding by other international organizations, such as GEF, as well as for urgent and special needs. The Meeting requested the UNESCAP secretariat to administer the Core Fund in accordance with the United Nations rules and regulations.
The Eighth Meeting of Senior Officials on NEASPEC (SOM-8), 2002 requested the secretariat to prepare a budget on an annual basis for consideration by NEASPEC SOMs for its approval and also to report on the balance to the next SOM. It also requested UNESCAP secretariat to continue its efforts, in cooperation with relevant international organizations and donor countries, to explore new and additional financial resources acknowledging that sustained and diversified financial basis is indispensable for steady and effective project planning and implementation.
Participation, Coordination and Management
Each Participating Party has designated national focal points whose responsibilities, inter alia, include the following:
To undertake routine work in connection with the relevant Programme activities;
To act as official channels of communication between the institutions participating in the Programme, the Meeting of Senior Officials on Environmental Cooperation in North-East Asia, the UNESCAP secretariat and other collaborating agencies and institutions;
To consult and provide guidance to the relevant national institutions in connection with the implementation of the approved projects;
To collate and present information on the implementation of the approved projects and activities, as appropriate;
To assist participating and collaborating institutions, and international agencies in undertaking the implementation of the approved projects and activities.
The activities under the Programme are generally executed by the UNESCAP, the interim secretariat. The Meeting of Senior Officials may also designate one or more agencies to assume overall responsibility for implementing any specific project. The secretariat and the designated agencies accordingly develop project proposals and activities, including budgetary support requirements, seek funding support and present periodic reports, as desired.
The participating institutions (such as government agencies, research centres, laboratories, universities, etc.) designated by the Participating Parties implement and carry out the relevant approved activities under the Programme.
Regional consultants and institutions will be used, to the extent possible, for the implementation of approved projects/activities
NEASPEC Vision Statement
With the dawn of the new millennium and faced with deteriorating environmental situation in the North-East Asian subregion, in accordance with Agenda 21 and as elaborated at the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly held in June 1997 (UNGASS), the Meeting of Senior Officials at its Sixth Meeting, in 2000 agrees to:
1.
Periodically review the environmental conditions and trends as well as the implementation of priority projects in the North-East Asian subregion with a view to identifying additional priority areas for cooperation;
2.
Promote common policy dialogue on approaches and views and coordinated actions on subregional environmental issues;
3.
Develop the present Framework for North-East Asian Subregional Programme on Environmental Cooperation into a comprehensive Programme for environmental cooperation in North-East Asia, preferably by the Eighth Meeting of Senior Officials on NEASPEC, bearing in mind that the development of institutional and financial arrangements should proceed in a realistic way, taking into consideration the diversity of the participating countries.
4.
Request the UNESCAP secretariat to administer a 'Core Fund for North-East Asian Environmental Cooperation' should one or more participating countries make voluntary contribution for promoting subregional environmental cooperation. The fund could be utilized for projects adopted by the meeting of senior officials and aimed at enhancing subregional environmental cooperation.
5.
Request the UNESCAP secretariat to continue to provide secretariat support to NEASPEC, in collaboration with UNDP, UNEP, ADB, the World Bank, and other relevant institutions. The Meeting of Senior Officials will keep under review the institutional mechanism. The participating countries shall extend support, as appropriate, to UNESCAP secretariat for its efficient operation, which also shall enhance the ownership of participating countries of NEASPEC.
6.
Provide appropriate assistance for 'North-East Asian Centre for Environmental Data and Training' and 'North-East Asian Training Centre for Pollution Reduction in Coal-fired Power Plant,' both of which are expected to make a great contribution to the goal of NEASPEC. To forge a mutually beneficial partnership with ongoing environmental cooperation initiatives and projects in Northeast Asia such as Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), Environment Congress for Asia and the Pacific (ECO-ASIA), North-East Environmental Conference (NEAC) Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP), and the Tumen River Area Development Project (TRADP) with a view to enhancing synergies and avoiding duplication and overlapping in their activities.
7.
Develop Websites for wider dissemination of information in order to raise public awareness of NEASPEC' s activities. The Websites shall be developed by each of the participating countries and the UNESCAP secretariat in languages of participating countries as well as, if possible, in English. The Senior Officials shall also consider other means to strengthen the public awareness of NEASPEC activities.
8.
Make an input by providing information on achievements of NEASPEC to the fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific in 2000.
9.
Make further efforts to increase the involvement of major groups particularly the local governments, civil societies, the private sectors and other interested groups to contribute to NEASPEC.
Institutional Outlook
The revisions of the Core Fund identified that there is a considerable amount accumulated with the generous contributions from Japan, Republic of Korea and China, and NEASPEC is now entering a crucial phase in its development. Active participation of all member states will be highly beneficial for the countries. In addition, various other UN agencies, such as UNEP, UNDP, UNCCD, and financial institutions such as ADB and the World Bank have been active partners in the implementation of the priority programme of the NEASPEC. Since the cooperation established under the trans-boundary air pollution element of the NEASPEC is successful, the approach undertaken is going to be replicated in the nature conservation area as well.
Institutionally, SOM aspires to develop current Framework of NEASPEC into a comprehensive Programme with strengthened financing mechanism on the basis of the current arrangement of ‘core fund.'
To enhance synergies and avoid duplication in their activities, a renewing endeavour is undergoing, seeking to forge a mutually beneficial partnership with ongoing environmental cooperation initiatives and projects in North-East Asia such as Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), Environment Congress for Asia and the Pacific (ECO-ASIA), North-East Environmental Conference (NEAC), Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP), and the Tumen River Area Development Project (TRADP).
As a result of dramatic economic development, environmental deterioration in this sub-region has dictated the attention of NEASPEC on new and emerging issues on environmentally sustainable economic growth in North-East Asia, among which Eco-efficiency was proposed to be further elaborated in the Eleventh Meeting of Senior Officials held in 26 October 2005 in Seoul, ROK. This concept is one of the crucial themes linking the economy and environment and presenting opportunities for joint improvement in economic and environmental performance. The new project thrust is in keeping with the Seoul Initiative- Green Growth (GG) taken up in the fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development held on 24-29 March, 2005 in Seoul, ROK. Eco-efficiency Programme.
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