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  • Statements
  • Statement of the ACB at CMS COP 14

    CMS COP 14
    Samarkand, Uzbekistan
    12 February 2023
    Statement of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
    Agenda 10.4 IGOs and NGOs

    1. Let me join the other delegates in expressing our gratitude to the gracious host,
    the Government of Uzbekistan, for welcoming us to the historic city of Samarkand.

    2. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, established in 1967,
    initially focused on cooperation in various sectors to promote peace and stability in
    the Region. Over the last 25 years, environmental concerns, particularly
    biodiversity conservation, have also become increasingly prominent within
    ASEAN’s agenda.

    3. Indeed, we subscribe to this COP’s theme, “Nature knows no borders,” as ASEAN
    acknowledges the interconnectedness of our wildlife resources across terrestrial
    and marine ecosystems, emphasising the need for robust cross-sectoral and
    transboundary cooperation.

    4. The ASEAN region is at the heart of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF),
    supporting the migration of approximately 50 million birds annually. For this reason,
    the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity or the ACB, with Singapore as the lead ASEAN
    Member State, established the ASEAN Flyway Network to strengthen the
    contribution of Southeast Asian countries in conserving migratory waterbirds along
    the EAAF as they pass through our sub-region, enhancing transboundary
    cooperation and habitat management efforts.

    5. Collaboration and dialogue within and among ASEAN are essential for advancing
    conservation efforts and addressing environmental challenges. Currently, the ACB
    is facilitating the development of our Regional Biodiversity Strategy and Action
    Plan, or the “ASEAN Biodiversity Plan”. Through this biodiversity plan, the region
    will be able to promote synergy among the multilateral environmental agreements
    (MEAs), taking into account the priority areas of the ASEAN under the Global
    Biodiversity Framework, as they relate to the targets of other MEAs, including the
    relevant targets of the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2024–2032, anticipated
    to be adopted in this COP.

    6. We are pleased that these collaborative efforts are in line with this year’s ASEAN
    Chairpersonship of Lao PDR with the theme “Enhancing Connectivity and
    Resilience”. The ACB stands ready to advance the agenda of global and regional
    cooperation in Southeast Asia, on the conservation of migratory species as put
    forward by the parties and partners here in Samarkand at the CMS COP14.

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