ASEAN celebrates a decade of mutual learning and service for biodiversity
Bangkok, Thailand— Representatives from ASEAN environment ministries, academia, non-government organisations, and the private sector, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) gathered in a learning forum to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the ACB Secondment Programme on 1 September 2023.
The Secondment Programme Forum convened past and present seconded officers to exchange lessons learned and experiences from the programme; explore the setting up of a seconded officers network or community of practice; and document the success stories of seconded officers and the programme.
“I would like to congratulate the 46 seconded officers who actively participated in regional biodiversity initiatives in the ASEAN region from 2013 until the present. We are hopeful that we can build a network of all ACB seconded officers representing various sectors to continue the collaborative learning and service for biodiversity conservation in the region,” said Mr. Oliver A. Agoncillo, Director of the ACB Mainstreaming Biodiversity Division.
The two-day forum provided an avenue to share success stories of participative learning experiences, enhanced knowledge and skills, expanded networks/connections, friendships created, explorations of various ASEAN cultures, immersion in different conservation practices and management of protected areas and ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs), and professional career progression in the biodiversity sector. These stories were highlighted during presentations, group workshops, photo storytelling, and video documentation testimonials.
About the ACB Secondment Programme
The ACB Secondment Programme is a capacity development programme aimed at promoting and facilitating the direct participation of professionals from the government, non-government organisations, and research and academia from the ASEAN Member States (AMS) in carrying out selected regular functions of the ACB, through short-term and long-term assignments.
The ACB and the GIZ started the implementation of the Secondment Programme in 2013, under the Biodiversity and Climate Change Project (2010–2015) and then carried the programme through both Phases I and II of the Institutional Strengthening of the Biodiversity Sector in ASEAN (ISB), implemented from 2015–2019 and 2019–2024, respectively.
The Secondment Programme was designed to help build the AMS’s and the region’s capacity in various thematic concerns in biodiversity conservation at the local, national, regional, and international levels, such as knowledge in global biodiversity agreements and targets, policy coordination, AHP and protected area management, knowledge management, scientific research, CEPA, and project management.