By Luqman Hakim | New Straits Times
Malaysia is seeking to finalise the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Rights during its chairmanship of the 10-nation bloc this year.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the declaration was still under discussion.
“We have seen good progress so far. This (declaration) involves various parties within Malaysia itself such as NRES, Wisma Putra and ASEAN members.
“We are working towards a consensus to have the document signed during Malaysia’s chairmanship.
“At the working level, we had very good discussions and will update accordingly,” he said.
He was speaking after a ceremony to launch Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship at the NRES Ministry level.
Present were Deputy NRES Minister Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii, NRES Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr. Ching Thoo, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia director Datuk Dr. Ismail Parlan, and Deputy Head (Research) of Sunway University’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Asia Professor Datuk Dr. Mazlin Mokhtar.
Development of the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Rights was started by ASEAN Environmental Rights Working Group in 2022, during Cambodia’s chairmanship.
The proposed regional framework is aimed at affirming and promoting the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment among ASEAN members.
It will establish regional standards for implementing international norms on environmental rights.
The declaration will acknowledge the challenges of vulnerable groups, including indigenous peoples, and underscores the need to protect their environmental rights.
Malaysia will host two major ASEAN meetings on the environment: the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN) meeting from July 28 to Aug 1 and the Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) from Sept 1 to 5 in Langkawi.
“ASOEN is one of ASEAN’s cooperation mechanisms that focuses on ecosystem sustainability and the management of natural resources in the Southeast Asian region.
“AMME is a biennial ASEAN-level meeting held once every two years.
“During this meeting, environment ministers from ASEAN member states discuss and finalise regional environmental policies, programmes, and activities recommended by the ASOEN meeting,” he said.
