Workshops

Workshop on Strengthening Transboundary Collaboration between Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam for the Truong Son Range’s Biodiversity

Thua Thien Hue Province, Viet Nam
22 – 24 May 2008

Organizer: Viet Nam Environmental Protection Agency of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources

Partner: ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

Background: On 30 May, 2001, the Ministry of Environment of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the National Council of Technical Science and Environment of Lao PDR, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam signed the Platform of Cooperation on Environment. The Platform aims to facilitate cooperation among institutions of the three countries involved in research and national capacity building, environmental protection, legal reform, and policy making.

Following a series of meetings and workshops with Cambodia in 2005 and 2006 and Lao PDR and Viet Nam in 2006, representatives of the three countries developed a draft framework that paved the way for an international agreement that aims to strengthen the transboundary collaboration and establish a Transboundary Protected Area Complex covering the areas known as Chu Mom Ray, Dong Ampham, and Virachey.

The first meeting on transboundary cooperation was held on 15-17 November 2006 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The meeting deliberated on the draft Agreement on Strengthening Transboundary Collaboration between Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, and discussed the establishment of the Virachey-Dong Am Pham and Chu Mom Ray Protected Areas Complex. The draft Agreement was accepted with minor modifications at the meeting and a work plan was set up to ensure the agreement is effected in the near future.

The second workshop among the three countries was held in Viet Nam in 2007.

Rationale: Along Viet Nam’s border with Lao PDR runs the Truong Son Range. The mountains are known to conservation biologists as well as to everyone concerned with preserving the world’s species as a region of exceptional biodiversity.

Biologists exploring the Truong Son have recorded three previously unrecognized species of Muntjac or barking deer, one species of pig, one species of rabbit, and the Saola, the sole member of Pseudoryx, a genus entirely new to the cattle family. Saolas range through northern Cambodia and adjacent areas of Thailand, Lao PDR and Viet Nam.

As a member and focal point of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MonRE) of Viet Nam will celebrate as well as promote the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May 2008 as proclaimed by the United Nations. By organizing this workshop, the MoNRE would be able to promote its CBD implementation as well as increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

MoNRE aims to raise biodiversity conservation in Truong Son Range as a transboundary matter and take the workshop as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation for conservation among the three countries – Viet Nam, Cambodia and Lao PDR.

Objectives: The workshop will:

1. provide a forum for decision makers, researchers, development agencies, NGOs and the concerned public to exchange expertise and experiences;
2. discuss and assess information on biodiversity conservation in the Truong Son Range; and
3. discuss emerging problems and their resolutions, especially on transboundary matters.

Output: To further publicize the result of the workshop, VEPA intends to compile and print a proceeding of the workshop. The printed document will be a valuable reference book that will be disseminated to all DoNRE offices, relevant research institutions, universities, NGOs and other interested parties.

Organization of the Workshop: The workshop will consist of a two-day meeting (22-23 May) and one field trip day (24 May). The participants will hold sub-workshops on policy and legislation (May 22); mountain biodiversity (biodiversity of the Truong Son Range)[May 22-23]; and on agricultural biodiversity (following the theme of the IBD 2008) [May 22-23].