The First Meeting of Senior Officials (SOM-1 (51 kb)), held in Seoul, Republic of Korea in 1993 marked the birth of NEASPEC. Since then, through a consultation process in a series of Senior Officials Meetings, NEASPEC has continuously developed its function both as a policy dialogue forum to deal with environmental issues of common concern to the countries in the subregion, as well as a governing body to guide joint implementation of subregional projects and activities.

With ESCAP assisting the NEASPEC as its interim secretariat, SOM-1 identified three priority areas for cooperation. In addition, it recommended that the sub-regional cooperation programme should be developed on a step-by-step and consensus-seeking basis.

SOM-2 (121 kb) held in 1994 approved five priority projects for implementation and elaborated the overall framework of cooperation. SOM was officially endorsed to be the governing body and a forum for sharing of experience on policy matters, information exchange, consultation and stocktaking on activities. Tangible result-orientation and further institutional development were agreed upon, in response to a special session scheduled for 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly to review the implementation of Agenda 21.

SOM-3 (70 kb) in 1996 paved the way for sound institutional development of NEASPEC by pinning down the geographic coverage, programme objectives, interim secretariat arrangement, participation, coordination and management, collaborating agencies, financial mechanism, criteria for project selection and policy guidance under Agenda 21 in the Framework for the North-East Asian Subregional Programme of Environmental Cooperation.(72k)

Under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding and the administration of UNESCAP, three sub-projects on air-pollution in coal-fired power plants, out of five, were identified in SOM-2 (121 kb) and started to be implemented from October, 1996 till March of 1998. Endorsed by SOM-4 ( 61 kb) (in 1998) and financially supported by ADB, the follow-on activities addressing air-pollution commenced in January 2001 and were completed in June 2004.

SOM-5 (59 kb) further stressed that the cooperation among the countries of North-East Asia was indispensable in order for future generations to realize a century of peace and prosperity for which the opportunities provided by the Framework should be fully utilized. The Meeting also discussed the institutional upgrading options for NEASPEC.

A landmark development of NEASPEC institutions took place in SOM-6 (45 kb), in 2000, where a Core Fund was established and a Vision Statement (13 kb) for Environmental Cooperation in the region was adopted. Two technical centers, the "North-East Asian Center for Environmental Data and Training" (NEACEDT), hosted at the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), and the "North-East Asian Training Center for Pollution Reduction in Coal-fired Power Plant," hosted by the Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI) have been established and a website set up.

SOM-7 (54 kb)discussed the ongoing projects as well as the subregion’s preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. It also considered three programme that were proposed by the secretariat, i.e. a) Comprehensive Clean Technology Programme; b) North-East Asia Nature Conservation Programme; and c) Environmental Monitoring and Data Collection Programme.

SOM-8(78 kb) in 2002 dwelt on and approved the Programme on Nature Conservation, which was picked up again by SOM-9 (72 kb), thereby two priority areas were taken up, modalities and thrust of the implementation were identified. The Programme officially commenced in July 2005 through an inception meeting held in Chuncheon, ROK.

SOM-10 (211 kb) in 2004 noted with satisfaction the second phase of Transboundary Environmental Cooperation in North-East Asia funded by ADB and approved the project proposal of a Framework for Nature Conservation Programme. The Meeting, inter alia, underlined the new and emerging issues related to the environmentally sustainable economic growth in North-East Asia. Over time, projects undertaken within the Framework of NEASPEC started to take a significant turn from ‘end-of-pipe’ approach to a holistic approach integrating environmental concerns with economic growth.

SOM-11 (48 kb) in 2005, in response to the fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development (MCED-5), held in March 2005, steered NEASPEC sub-region towards environmentally sustainable economic growth (Green Growth ) and recommended that proper approaches to implement activities on eco-efficiency be explored.

SOM-12 (183 kb) in 2007, reaffirmed the need to strengthen NEASPEC into a comprehensive mechanism by developing new programme areas, enhancing ownership of the member countries, and making effective institutional arrangements, in which context the Meeting reviewed the proposal by the Republic of Korea (ROK) on the hosting of the permanent secretariat. While appreciating the initiative, the Meeting requested the Republic of Korea, in consultation with the secretariat to submit the revised proposal in response to key questions raised during the Meeting in the two weeks time after the meeting, so that the member governments can build the consensus by 10 May 2007.

SOM-13 (88 kb) in 2008, exchanged updated information on the member countries’ national action towards environmental protection and sustainable development and their implications for North-east Asian subregional cooperation. Member countries gave views on the need to revitalize NEASPEC by developing new programme areas, enhancing ownership of the member countries, and making effective institutional arrangements.

SOM-14 (105 kb) in 2009 exchanged information on national initiatives relevant to NEASPEC and views on the significance of NEASPEC as a key vehicle for sub-regional environmental cooperation. The Meeting received the recognition of member countries’ about the progress of NEASPEC and at the same time the importance of strengthening its activity and coordination among member countries.