Koh, Kheng-Lian --- "Asian Environmental Protection in Natural Resrie Journal of International and Comparative Environmental Law 43

24/05/2015 8:37 pm

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Koh, Kheng-Lian --- "Asian Environmental Protection in Natural Resources and

Sustainable Development: Convergence Versus Divergence?" [2007] MqJlICEnvLaw
3; (2007) 4(1) Macquarie Journal of International and Comparative Environmental
Law 43
Asean&Environmental&Protection&in&Natural&Resources&and&Sustainable&Development:&Convergence&versus
Divergence?
I&Introduction
II&Some&Divergence
A&The&ASEAN&Way

1&ASEAN&Way&v&Flexible&Engagement:&Some&Divergence&in&Approach&to&Environmental&Governance&in
Natural&Resources
2&ASEAN&Way&and&Doctrine&of&Sovereignty&as&Applied&to&Natural&Resources:&Divergent&Views
3&The&Future&of&the&ASEAN&Way&&the&ASEAN&Charter:&Divergent&Views?

B&ASEAN&Agreement&on&the&Conservation&of&Nature&and&Natural&Resources,&1985:&Divergence&in
Convergence
C&ASEAN&Agreement&on&Transboundary&Haze&Pollution,&2002&and&Thailands&Interpretative&Declaration
and&NonVRatiWication&by&some&ASEAN&Members
D&Draft&ASEAN&Framework&Agreement&on&Access&to&Biological&and&Genetic&Resources,&2000:&Some
ConWlict&of&Interests

III&Some&Convergence

A&ASEAN&Environmental&Governance&Focus&on&Natural&Resources
B&Forging&Common&ASEAN&Policies&and&Stands&in&Natural&Resource&Management
C&Programs&and&Plans&of&Action&on&Natural&Resource&Management
D&Other&Soft&Law&Instruments&on&Protection&of&Natural&Resources
E&Some&SpeciWic&Areas&of&Cooperation&in&Natural&Resources

IV&Conclusion

Asean Environmental Protection in Natural Resources and Sustainable

Development: Convergence versus Divergence?
KHENGVLIAN&KOH*
We&envision&a&&green&ASEAN&with&fully&established&mechanisms&for&sustainable&development&to
ensure&the&protection&of&the&regions&environment,&the&sustainability&of&its&natural)resources&&(italics
added).[1]

I Introduction
Established&in&1967,&ASEAN&&the&Association&of&South&East&Asian&Nations&&consists&of&ten&member&states,&namely,
Brunei,&Cambodia,&Indonesia,&Laos,&Myanmar,&Malaysia,&the&Philippines,&Singapore,&Thailand&and&Vietnam.[2]
To&what&extent&can&the&ASEAN)Vision)2020&on&natural&resources,&quoted&above,&be&realized&in&a&region&which&is&not
altogether&homogeneous&but&is&disparate&to&a&varying&extent&in&terms&of&its&history,&politics,&economics,&socioV
cultural&communities,&population&and&natural&resources?
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The&2002&ASEAN)Report)to)the)World)Summit)on)Sustainable)Development)(WSSD)&noted&the&regions&natural
resources&in&the&following&terms:
ASEANs&environment&and&natural&resource&endowments&are&unique&and&diverse.&Forest&cover&in
ASEAN&is&over&48%,&compared&to&the&world&average&of&below&30%.&The&aquatic&ecosystems&and&the
marine&environment&in&ASEAN&are&highly&productive&and&species&rich.&In&1998,&it&contributed&14%&of
the&worlds&marine&Wish&production,&and&contained&35%&of&the&worlds&mangrove&forests,&and&30%&of
the&worlds&coral&reefs.[3]
Three&of&the&ten&ASEAN&members,&Indonesia,&Malaysia&and&the&Philippines,&are&among&the&seventeen&mega
diversity&countries&in&the&world.[4]
This&paper&deals&with&the&policies,&strategies,&programs&and&plans&of&actions&in&the&management&of&the&natural
resources&in&ASEAN.&The&challenges&encountered&in&the&formulation&and&implementation&of&the&various
instruments&relating&to&these,&reWlect&some&divergence&as&well&as&convergence.&The&approach&to&ASEANs
cooperation&is&the&ASEAN&Way,[5]&which&may&soon&be&modiWied&by&the&ASEAN)Charter&(infra).[6]
This&paper&focuses&on&ASEAN&at&the&subVregional&level&and&not&at&the&national&level&of&member&states.
During&the&last&two&decades,&ASEAN&countries&have&embarked&on&massive&economic&development&aimed&at&raising
the&standards&of&living&of&the&people.&Consequently,&the&impact&of&these&activities&has&affected&the&regions
biodiversity.&For&example,&the&clearing&of&forest&land&by&burning&to&make&way&for&palm&oil&plantations&in&Indonesia
has&caused&untold&damage&to&biodiversity.&This&is&one&such&example&with&which&ASEAN&has&still&to&grapple.
The&ASEAN)Vision)2020[7]&calls&for&shared&values&for&sustainable&development&of&natural&resources.&This&involves
both&procedural&as&well&as&substantive&mechanisms&by&integrating&environmental&considerations&into&development
planning.&The&Vision&weaves&together&demographic&dynamics,&socio&&cultural&factors,&economic&growth,&natural
resource&use&and&environmental&protection.
As&environment&is&a&highly&political&issue,&there&is&bound&to&be&divergence&in&Winding&solutions.&As&in&other&parts&of
the&world&and&even&within&a&particular&country&there&are&always&divergencies&in&the&pursuit&of&the&use&of&natural
resources&and&sustainable&development.&Where&there&are&common&concerns,&it&is&easier&to&Wind&a&convergence.

II Some Divergence
I&will&consider&four&instances&of&divergence.&First,&the&approach&to&decision&making&&the&ASEAN&Way.&Second,&the
1985&ASEAN)Agreement)on)the)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural)Resources:[8]
divergence&in&convergence.&Third,&the&2002&ASEAN)Agreement)on)Transboundary)Haze)Pollution:[9]
Thailands&Interpretative&Declaration,[10]&and&nonV&ratiWication&by&some&ASEAN&members.&Fourth,&the&draft&ASEAN
Framework)Agreement)on)Access)to)Biological)and)Genetic)Resources:[11]
some&conWlict&of&interests.
It&is&not&at&all&surprising&that&divergencies&occur&in&an&area&such&as&the&environment,&as&issues&relating&to
environmental&governance&and&sustainable&development&in&natural&resources&require&progressive)deliberations&in
order&to&achieve&a&clear&vision&and&policy&before&speciWic&strategies&and&laws&can&be&formulated.&This&is&seen&not
only&in&ASEANs&cooperation&in&environment&but&also&in&other&parts&of&the&world.&As&N&A&Robinson&notes:
The&need&for&more&effective&international&cooperation&to&safeguard&Earths&environment&had&been
evident&since&before&the&UN&Stockholm&Conference&on&the&Human&Environment&in&1972.&That
Conference&provided&for&the&establishment&of&the&United&Nations&Environment&Programme&(UNEP),
and&perhaps&it&was&because&of&the&success&of&UNEP&that&nations&came&to&recognize&the&need&for&nations
to&take&ever&more&effective&international&measures&to&prevent&environmental&degradation&around&the
world.&The&need&to&do&so,&however,&was&not&matched&by&a&clear&vision&about&how&to&do&so.[12]

A The ASEAN Way

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1 ASEAN Way v Flexible Engagement: Some Divergence in Approach to Environmental Governance in

Natural Resources
In&the&context&of&environmental&governance,&the&ASEAN&Way&is&generally&typiWied&by&soft&laws&rather&than&hard
laws.&Of&course,&there&are&other&reasons&why&many&environmental&instruments&take&the&form&of&soft&laws.[13]&The
ASEAN&Way&also&puts&the&burden&of&implementation,&compliance&and&enforcement&on&the&member&states&as&there&is
no&central&ASEAN&bureaucracy.
The&ASEAN&Way&is&now&ready&to&move&forward&to&the&next&stage&with&a&focus&on&people&under&the&forthcoming
ASEAN)Charter.[14]&This&is&important&as&the&role&of&the&people&(public&participation)&plays&a&part&in&shaping&the
management&of&natural&resources.&Ong&Keng&Yong,&Secretary&General&of&ASEAN&said:&a&certain&formality&based&on&a
more&legal&regime&will&help&ASEAN&grow&into&a&more&effective&regional&organization.[15]&Things&have&changed&and
ASEAN&is&meeting&new&challenges&in&all&spheres&including&the&environment&as&grimly&demonstrated&by&the
Indonesian&Wires,&SARS&and&avian&Wlu.[16]&More&teeth&are&also&needed&to&tackle&the&problems&such&as&illegal&trade&in
endangered&species.
The&ASEAN&Way&has&had&its&strengths&and&weaknesses.[17]&Its&weakness&has&been&manifested&in&attempts&to&solve
the&Indonesia&Haze.&In&order&to&counteract&this,&an&innovative&concept&of&Wlexible&engagement&was&mooted&in&the
late&1990s&by&the&then&Foreign&Minister&of&Thailand,&Surin&Pitsuwan,&signifying&a&divergence&in&the&approach&to
dealing&with&the&internal&affairs&of&a&member&state&which&would&have&environmental,&economic&or&other&impacts.
To&understand&how&the&ASEAN&Way&evolved,&we&need&to&understand&the&history&of&the&formation&of&ASEAN&itself.
The&Bangkok&Declaration&of&8&August&1967&which&established&ASEAN[18]&was&to
accelerate&the&economic&growth,&social&progress&and&cultural&development&in&the&region&through&joint
endeavor&in&the&spirit&of&equality&and&partnership,&in&order&to&strengthen&the&foundations&for&a
prosperous&and&equal&community&of&South&East&Asian&nations&and&to&promote&regional&peace&and
stability.[19]
Mr&S&Rajaratnam,&the&then&Foreign&Minister&of&Singapore,&at&the&signing&ceremony&said:&It&is&easy&to&give&birth&to&a
new&organization&&It&is&a&mere&skeleton&that&we&have&erected&&He&pointed&out&that&the&difWicult&task&was&to&give
Wlesh&and&blood&to&the&concept,&by)marrying)nationalist)thinking)with)regional)thinking.)He&continued:
We&must&also&accept&the&fact,&if&we&are&really&serious&about&it,&that&regional)existence)means)painful
medications)to)nationalist)practices)and)difKicult)adjustments.&If&were&not&going&to&do&that&then
regionalism&remains&Utopian.[20]
The&founder&members&&Indonesia,&Malaysia,&the&Philippines,&Singapore&and&Thailand&&had&not&been&in&the&best&of
political&relationships&and&some&were&then&hostile&to&one&another.&ConWidence&building&through&the&gentle
musyawarah&&consensus&way&of&decisionVmaking&was&the&only&way&&and&thus&came&to&be&known&as&the&ASEAN
Way.&And&cooperation&in&the&now&three&communities&&ASEAN&Security&Community;&ASEAN&Economic&Community;
and&ASEAN&SocioVCultural&Community&&has&gained&conWidence&and&is&moving&forward&to&the&next&step&&one&that&is
intended&to&give&more&teeth.&This&is&the&move&forward&for&the&ASEAN&Community.
This&ASEAN&Charter&Way&approach&would&enable&ASEAN&member&states&to&discuss&problems&of&Wires&caused&by
palm&oil&plantation&owners&in&Indonesia&without&being&regarded&as&interfering&with&the&internal&affairs&of&the
country.&At&the&33rd&ASEAN&Ministers&Meeting&in&July&2000,&the&then&Foreign&Minister&of&Thailand,&Surin&Pitsuwan,
stated&that
our&initiative&on&Wlexible&engagement,&which&has&evolved&into&enhanced&interaction,&is&part&of&our
effort&to&ensure&that&ASEAN&is&more&effective,&cohesive&and&relevant&to&the&changing&world&situation.
[21]

This&concept&would&also&herald&a&rulesVbased&solution.&It&could&also&modify&the&doctrine&of&sovereignty&and
territorial&integrity&of&nations&as&applied&by&ASEAN,&reWlected&in&the&1976&Bali&Declaration)of)the)ASEAN)Concord,[22]
and&could&apply&in&the&management&of&natural&resources.&This&would&give&ASEAN&members&legal&backing&to
solutions&in&the&protection&of&the&environment&including&the&protection&of&natural&resources.[23]

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2 ASEAN Way and Doctrine of Sovereignty as Applied to Natural Resources: Divergent Views
The&doctrine&of&sovereignty&is&related&to&the&notion&of&the&ASEAN&Way.&The&ASEAN&Way&has&called&for&an&absolute
application&of&the&doctrine&&ie&nonVinterference&with&the&internal&affairs&of&a&country.&The&provision&on&nonV
interference&has&been&incorporated&in&many&ASEAN&documents.&For&example,&the&Declaration)of)ASEAN)Concord&II
(Bali,&2003)&reafWirmed&the&fundamental&importance&of&adhering&to&the&principle&of&nonVinterference&and
consensus&in&ASEAN&cooperation:
The&ASEAN&Security&Community&shall&abide&by&the&UN&Charter&and&other&principles&of&international
law&and&uphold&ASEANs&principles&of&nonVinterference,&consensusVbased&decisionVmaking,&national
and&regional&resilience,&respect&for&national&sovereignty,&the&renunciation&of&the&threat&or&the&use&of
force,&and&peaceful&settlement&of&differences&and&disputes.[24]
Article&2&(7)&of&the&United&Nations&Charter&reads:&nothing&contained&in&the&present&Charter&shall&authorize&the
United&Nations&to&intervene&in&matters&which&are&essentially&within&the&domestic&jurisdiction&of&any&state&[25]
In&the&context&of&natural&resources,&the&doctrine&Winds&expression&in&the&preamble&of&the&General&Assembly
Resolution&on&Permanent&Sovereignty&over&Natural&Resources
Bearing&in&mind&its&resolution&1314(XIII)&of&12&December&1958,&by&which&it&established&the
Commission&on&Permanent&Sovereignty&over&Natural&Resources&and&instructed&it&to&conduct&a&full
survey&of&the&status&of&permanent&sovereignty&over&natural&wealth&and&resources&as&a&basic&constituent
of&the&right&to&selfVdetermination,&with&recommendations,&where&necessary,&for&its&strengthening,&and
decided&further&that,&in&the&conduct&of&the&full&survey&of&the&status&of&the&permanent&sovereignty&of
peoples&and&nations&over&their&natural&wealth&and&resources,&due&regard&should&be&paid&to&the&rights
and&duties&of&States&under&international&law&and&to&the&importance&of&encouraging&international&coV
operation&in&the&economic&development&of&developing&countries,&[26]
As&already&noted,&during&various&ASEAN&ministers&meetings&on&the&Indonesian&haze,&the&Thai&Foreign&Minister,
Surin&Pitsuwan,&recommended&that
perhaps&it&is&time&that&ASEANs&cherished)principle)of)nonNintervention)(ie,&the&ASEAN&Way)&is&modiWied
to&allow&ASEAN&to&play&a&constructive&role&in&preventing&or&resolving&domestic&issues&with&regional
implications.
He&argued&that&a&Wlexible&engagement&would&enable&ASEAN&member&states&to&make&recommendations&and&policies
in&regard&to&a&member&states&internal&affairs.&At&the&31st&ASEAN&Ministerial&Meeting&in&Manila&in&July&1998,&he
elaborated&his&view&that&the&nonVinterference&principle&in&the&ASEAN&Way&could&no&longer&be&accepted&as&follows:
Many&domestic&affairs&have&obvious&external&or&transnational&dimensions,&adversely&affecting
neighbors,&the&region&and&the&regions&relations&with&others.&In&such&cases,&the&affected&countries
should&be&able&to&express&their&opinions&and&concerns&in&an&open,&frank&and&constructive&manner,
which&is&not,&and&should&not&be,&considered&interference&in&fellowVmembers&domestic&affairs.[27]
He&went&on&to&challenge&the&traditional&doctrine&of&national&sovereignty&which&has&also&been&applied&to&the&hilt&in
many&ASEAN&environmental&instruments,&boldly&stating:
ASEAN&countries&should&have&sufWicient&selfVconWidence&and&conWidence&in&one&another,&both&to&discuss
all&issues&once&considered&taboos&&and&to&speak&out&on&such&issues&&when&necessary&and
appropriate.&[28]
However,&he&did&not&go&so&far&as&to&jettison&the&principle&but&only&said&that&it&should&not&be&absolute.[29]&This
concept&caused&some&alarm&among&member&countries,&and&the&only&support&for&this&Wlexible&engagement&policy
was&from&the&Philippines.&The&rest&preferred&the&ASEAN&Way.
If&the&Wlexible&engagement&policy&had&been&adopted,&ASEAN&may&have&recommended&the&establishment&of&product
ecoVlabeling&for&Indonesian&palm&oil&or&timber&sale&items&in&order&to&address&the&direct&capital&investment&that&is&a
cause&of&the&forest&Wires&in&Indonesia&or&the&deforestation&there&and&elsewhere.&Such&an&ecoVlabeling&measure&would
allow&informed&market&decisions&to&deter&the&illegal&process&of&setting&Wires&to&clear&land&for&investment.
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Subsequently,&in&2002&the&ASEAN&members&drafted&the&ASEAN)Agreement)on)Transboundary)Haze)Pollution.[30]
This&Agreement&entered&into&force&in&2003&with&its&ratiWication&by&seven&ASEAN&member&states,&Brunei,&Laos,
Myanmar,&Malaysia,&Singapore,&Thailand&and&Vietnam.&Indonesia,&which&has&caused&the&forest&Wires,&has&not&as&yet
ratiWied&the&Agreement,&nor&have&Cambodia&and&the&Philippines.&So&although&there&is&common&concern&among
ASEAN&countries&in&dealing&with&forest&Wires,&there&is&divergence&on&implementation&for&political,&economic&or&other
reasons.
This&poses&the&question&as&to&whether&the&Wlexible&engagement&concept&is&a&precursor&to&the&formulation&of&the
ASEAN)Charter&which&contemplates&a&hard&law&approach.

3 The Future of the ASEAN Way the ASEAN Charter: Divergent Views?
The&ASEAN&Way&may&soon&be&remoulded&to&accommodate&the&ASEAN)Charter&which&was&established&by&the&11th
Summit&of&ASEAN&held&from&12V14&December&2005&in&Kuala&Lumpur.&It&is&expected&that&the&ASEAN)Charter&will&give
more&teeth&by&providing&more&formal&rules&and&norms.[31]
However,&some&of&the&more&recent&member&states&such&as&Myanmar&may&prefer&to&adhere&to&the&ASEAN&Way&as&the
Charter&may&open&the&gate&to&interference&with&internal&affairs.&The&recent&issue&over&Myanmars&chairmanship&of
ASEAN&has&demonstrated&that&the&Charter&may&be&perceived&by&Myanmar&as&pressuring&it&to&be&more&transparent
and&accountable.[32]
The&ASEAN)Charter&is&expected&to&be&submitted&at&the&13th&ASEAN&Summit&to&be&held&in&Singapore&in&November
2007.[33]
It&is&expected&to&give&a&more&rules&oriented&approach&to&cooperation&including&the&area&of&natural&resource
management.&Will&ASEAN&under&the&Charter&issue&Directives&to&members&to&amend&their&laws&and&establish&a
mechanism&for&implementation,&monitoring&and&compliance?[34]

B ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 1985: Divergence in
Convergence
The&highest&level&of&cooperation&and&convergence&lies&in&hard&law&instruments&and&the&only&direct&hard&law
agreement&relating&to&natural&resources&is&the&1985&ASEAN)Agreement)on)the)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural
Resources.&Yet,&after&21&years,&this&Agreement&has&not&entered&into&force.[35]&Is&there&a&conWlict&of&views&among&the
ASEAN&countries&which&have&not&ratiWied&the&Agreement?&A&brief&survey&of&its&history&may&throw&some&light.
At&the&6th&Meeting&of&the&ASEAN&Expert&Group&on&the&Environment&in&1983,&the&draft&Agreement&was&adopted.&It
was&signed&on&9&July&1985&by&the&then&six&member&countries&&Brunei,&Indonesia,&Malaysia,&Philippines,&Singapore
and&Thailand.&To&date&only&three)of&the&six&signatory&member&states,&Indonesia,&the&Philippines&and&Thailand&have
ratiWied&it.&Singapore,&Malaysia&and&Brunei&have&not.&It&is&therefore&not&yet&in&force.
If&signatories&to&an&agreement&signify&a&convergence&in&its&adoption,&nonVratiWication&by&a&signatory&state&may
reWlect&some&divergence.
The&question&of&conservation&of&nature&is&very&political&and&with&it&the&question&of&governance&in&making&decisions.
What&is&the&position&in&a&federal&state&like&Malaysia?&Is&there&adequate&infrastructure&(required&under&the
Agreement)&to&implement&it?&Is&an&inventory&of&species&in&place?&To&what&extent&can&the&then&ASEAN&member&states
claim&ownership&in&drafting&the&Agreement&(as&this&is&an&important&political&consideration&for&its&ratiWication)?
There&are&other&considerations&such&as&the&extent&of&natural&resources&and&the&use&and&conservation&of&such
resources,&also&the&extent&to&which&environmental&considerations&should&be&taken&into&account&in&economic
development.
I&have&posed&more&questions&than&I&can&answer,&but&they&may&assist&in&determining&the&convergence&or&divergence
of&views&on&the&question&of&ratiWication.
At&the&1st&meeting&of&the&then&ASEAN&Working&Group&on&Environment&(comprising&senior&ofWicials&of&the
Environment&in&the&then&member&states)&held&from&18V20&December&1978&in&Jakarta,&Indonesia&recommended&the

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development&of&the&Agreement.&At&the&5th&Meeting&in&1982&it&was&felt&that&further&studies&were&needed&and&for&this
purpose&a&Workshop&of&Legal&and&Technical&Experts&was&held&from&3V5&November&1982&in&Manila.&The&IUCN&(the
World&Conservation&Union)&Environmental&Law&Centre&and&the&Commission&on&Environmental&Policy&and
Administration&provided&technical&assistance&in&drafting&the&Agreement.
The&scope&is&very&wide&and&was&perhaps&too&forwardVlooking&at&that&period&of&time&for&member&states&to
implement,&as&it&speciWied&an&inventory&of&Wlora&and&fauna&among&other&requirements.&Subsequently,&when&the&1992
United&Nations&Convention)on)Biological)Diversity[36]&came&into&existence,&the&question&was&posed&as&to&whether&it
had&overtaken&the&Agreement&in&terms&of&the&contents.&Was&there&still&a&need&for&the&Agreement?&Have&there&been
other&ASEAN&initiatives&that&have&now&rendered&the&Agreement&outdated,&otiose&or&replaced&many&of&its
provisions?&Should&each&ASEAN&member&state&proceed&with&its&own&ratiWication&of&global&conventions&and
implement&those&in&accordance&with&the&common&but&differentiated&responsibilities&principle?&Or,&should&ASEAN
work&towards&a&harmonized&biodiversity&strategy&under&this&Agreement,&together&with&other&ASEAN&strategies,
programs&and&plans&of&action?&Has&the&ASEAN&Way&to&cooperation&among&its&members&been&an&obstacle&to&the
hard&law&approach&at&the&subregional&level?
At&the&7th&and&8th&meetings&of&ASOEN&(ASEAN&Senior&OfWicials&on&the&Environment)&held&from&9V11&September
1996&and&8V11&September&1997&respectively,&a&call&was&made&to&assess&the&relevance&of&the&ASEAN&Agreement&in
present&context,&ie,&in&light&of&several&international&related&conventions&such&as&the&Convention)on)Biological
Diversity,[37]
the&Convention)on)Migratory)Species[38]&and&the&Convention)on)International)Trade)in)Endangered)Species.[39]
There&is&now&silence!

C ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, 2002 and Thailands Interpretative

Declaration and Non-Ratification by some ASEAN Members
The&Indonesian&forest&Wires&wrought&great&havoc&in&terms&of&economy&and&public&health,&not&only&to&Indonesia&but
also&to&other&ASEAN&countries,&namely,&Singapore,&Malaysia,&the&Philippines&and&even&the&south&of&Thailand.&In
Indonesia&where&the&Wires&occurred,&there&was&also&great&biodiversity&loss.&This&led&ASEAN&members&to&cooperate&in
drafting&the&above&framework&AgreementV&only&the&second&ASEAN&hard&law&instrument.&In&contrast&to&the&ASEAN
Agreement)on)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural)Resources,[40]&the&Transboundary&Haze&Agreement&came&into
force&in&November&2003&&seven&of&the&ten&member&countries&having&ratiWied.[41]
Thailand&submitted&a&Declaration[42]&on&the&interpretation&of&Articles&4(3)&and&9(g)&of&the&Agreement.&According&to
Thailand,&the&phrase,&and/or&appearing&in&these&two&Articles,&should&be&read&or.&Article&4(3)&reads:&In&pursuing
this&Agreement,&the&Parties&shall&take&legislative&and/or&other&measures&to&implement&their&obligations&under&this
Agreement.&The&Thai&Declaration&narrows&the&scope&of&the&provision&by&requiring&only&one&of&the&alternative
mechanisms&instead&of&a&combination&of&them.&Similar&interpretation&is&to&be&given&to&Article&9(g)&in&relation&to
measures&to&control&open&burning&and&prevention&of&the&use&of&Wires&for&land&clearing.&It&is&clear&that&Thailand
wants&to&retain&its&sovereignty&over&its&natural&resources&and&this&would&include&the&right&to&clear&land&by&burning,
which&Thailand&practices.&Thailand&has&ratiWied&the&Agreement.
Indonesia,&the&country&which&inspired&the&Agreement,&because&of&its&forest&Wires&and&also&its&practice&of&swidden
agriculture,&has&not&ratiWied&the&Agreement;&nor&have&Brunei,&Laos&or&Vietnam.&There&are&many&reasons&why&a
country&may&not&ratify&an&Agreement&and&this&may&not&necessarily&mean&that&there&is&disagreement&with&the
Agreement&itself,&or&its&provisions.
Indonesia&participated&in&drafting&the&Agreement.&Whatever&the&reasons&Indonesia&has&given&for&not&ratifying&the
Agreement&as&yet,&it&is&not&difWicult&to&guess&that&one&of&the&underlying&reasons&is&its&adherence&to&its&sovereignty
over&its&natural&resources&including&the&methods&of&land&clearing.[43]

D Draft ASEAN Framework Agreement on Access to Biological and Genetic Resources, 2000:
Some Conflict of Interests
This&draft&Agreement[44]&acknowledges&the&need&to&ensure&the&uniformity&and&consistency&of&regulations&on&access
to&genetic&resources&and&its&equitable&beneWit&sharing&in&the&ASEAN&region.&It&sets&minimum&requirements&for
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national&implementation&and&maximizes&opportunities&for&the&conservation&and&sustainable&use&of&biological&and
genetic&resources.
ASEAN&has&a&common&interest&to&realize&the&value&of&biological&and&genetic&resources&in&the&development&of
products,&compounds&and&substances&that&have&medicinal,&industrial,&agricultural&and&related&applications.&There&is
an&urgent&need&to&protect&ASEAN&interests&in&these&biological&and&genetic&resources&from&biopiracy&as&provided&for
in&the&Convention)on)Biological)Diversity.&The&object&of&this&is&to&provide&a&level&playing&Wield&for&all&countries
wishing&to&control&exploitation&of&their&genetic&resources.
There&are&divergent&interests&between&providers&and&users&of&genetic&resources&in&the&ASEAN&region,&particularly
in&the&areas&of&prior&informed&consent,&and&fair&and&equitable&sharing&of&beneWits&for&indigenous&and&local
communities.&The&doctrine&of&sovereignty&as&viewed&by&each&member&state&and&the&concerns&of&indigenous&peoples
and&local&communities,&account&for&divergent&views.&To&date&the&draft&Agreement&has&not&been&Winalized.
The&draft&agreement&was&formulated&in&the&year&2000.&In&the&Hanoi&Plan&of&Action
1999V2004,&the&deadline&set&for&the&adoption&of&this&Agreement&was&2004.&The&deadline&has&past,&as&there&are&still
provisions&where&there&are&divergent&views&and&no&agreement&has&been&reached.

III Some Convergence

Since&1978,&ASEAN&has&produced&a&remarkable&array&of&legal&frameworks&for&cooperation&in&natural&resources.
Cooperation&to&safeguard&the&environment&in&ASEAN,&including&natural&resources,&was&not&contemplated&in&the
1967&Bangkok&Declaration&which&established&ASEAN.&It&began&soon&after&the&United&Nations&Conference&on&the
Human&Environment&held&in&Stockholm&in&1972.&Also,&as&ASEAN&members&began&to&develop&their&economies,
common&environmental&issues&emerged&which&required&cooperation&in&Winding&solutions.
In&1977,&the&United&Nations&Environment&Programme&(UNEP)&commissioned&its&Regional&Advisory&Team&to&visit
the&then&Wive&founder&ASEAN&member&states&(&ie,&Indonesia,&Malaysia,&the&Philippines,&Singapore&and&Thailand)&to
determine&the&priority&areas&in&environment.&The&result&was&Phase&I&of&the&ASEAN&Subregional&Environment
Programme&(ASEP)&1978V1982.&One&of&the&six&programs&in&the&ASEP&was&Nature&Conservation&and&Terrestrial
Ecosystems.&This&was&the&beginning&of&ASEANs&environmental&protection&of&natural&resources.&Today,&after&30
years,&cooperation&in&natural&resources&is&reWlected&in&some&thirtyVWive&relevant&instruments&covering&biodiversity,
marine&and&coastal&environment,&and&water&resources.&The&mechanisms&include&policies,&programs,&and&plans&of
action,&strategies&and&agreements.&They&constitute&a&corpus&of&environmental&laws&which&can&form&a&basis&for
harmonization&of&natural&resources&management&at&the&ASEAN&subregional&level&with&implementation&at&the
national&level.[45]

A ASEAN Environmental Governance Focus on Natural Resources

It&is&important&to&consider&the&ASEAN&environmental&governance&structure&(focusing&on&the&organizational
structure&to&deal&with&natural&resources)&as&this&is&pivotal&to&the&process&of&convergence&in&the&institutionalization
of&ASEANs&cooperation.
ASEAN&has&established&a&sophisticated&organizational&framework.&The&decisions&of&the&ASEAN&summits&are
transmitted&to&various&levels&to&be&acted&upon.&Of&the&six&working&groups,&three&deal&with&natural&resources,
namely,&the&Working&Group&on&Nature&Conservation&and&Biodiversity&(AWGNCB),&the&Working&Group&on&Coastal
and&Marine&Environment&(AWGCME)&and&the&Working&Group&on&Water&Resource&Management&(AWGWR):
1&ASEAN)Working)Group)on)Nature)Conservation)and)Biodiversity)(AWGNCB)
The&original&name&of&the&Working&Group[46]
did&not&include&the&term&Biodiversity&&it&was&then&known&as&the&ASEAN&Working&Group&on&Nature&Conservation
and&Terrestrial&Ecosystems.&However,&after&the&Convention)on)Biological)Diversity&(CBD)&was&ratiWied&by&many
ASEAN&member&states,&it&was&renamed&ASEAN&Working&Group&on&Nature&Conservation&and&Biodiversity&and&the
terms&of&reference&were&widened&to&reWlect&the&CBD.&Thus,&for&example,&reference&to&the&CBD&and&the&World
Heritage&Convention[47]&were&incorporated&into&the&Preamble&of&the&ASEAN)Declaration)of)Heritage)Parks&2003.[48]
This&is&one&of&the&recent&outputs&of&the&AWGNCB.
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2&ASEAN)Working)Group)on)Marine)and)Coastal)Environment&(AWGMCE)
The&terms&of&reference&of&this&Working&Group[49]&include&the&formulation&and&implementation&of&regional&action
plan&for&sustainable&development&and&management&of&coastal&and&marine&resources.&The&Group&seeks&to
strengthen,&coVordinate&and&coVoperate&with&ASEAN&regional&bodies&and&international&organizations&for&the
integrated&protection,&conservation&and&management&of&coastal&zones&and&marine&environment.
3&ASEAN)Working)Group)on)Water)Resource)Management)(AWGWRM)
This&Working&Group[50]&was&established&by&the&ASEAN&Senior&OfWicials&on&the&Environment&(ASOEN)&during&their
13th&Meeting&in&Siem&Reap,&Cambodia&on&17V19&July&2002.&The&areas&for&cooperation&include&networking&and
collaborative&action&on&integrated&water&resources&management&(IWRM);&and&exchange&of&relevant&information,
expertise,&technology&and&knowVhow&on&water&management.[51]
4&Other)Mechanisms)for)ASEANs)Cooperation
Apart&from&the&above&working&groups,&the&ASEAN&Regional&Centre&for&Biological&Conservation&(ARCBC&&later
renamed&the&ASEAN&Centre&for&Biodiversity),[52]
was&established&in&1998.&It&is&a&joint&venture&between&ASEAN&and&the&European&Union&(EU).&It&facilitates&ASEAN&to
meet&the&World&Summit&on&Sustainable&Development&Plan&of&Implementation&goal&to&reduce&the&current&rate&of&loss
of&biological&diversity&by&2010.[53]
In&addition,&ASEANs&Dialogue&Partners[54]
serve&an&important&function&to&promote&greater&cooperation&between&ASEAN&and&other&countries&and&international
organizations&such&as&APEC&and&ASEM.&More&recently,&a&new&caucus&was&established&by&the&East&Asia&Summit&held
from&11V14&December,&2005&in&Kuala&Lumpur&where&ASEAN&Plus&Three&(China,&Japan&and&South&Korea)&met&with
the&new&neighbours,&India,&Australia&and&New&Zealand.&This&forum&has&the&potential&to&promote&people&to&people
contact&and&enhance&cooperation&and&promote&Wields&such&as&environmental&protection,&prevention&of&infectious
diseases.[55]
The&Summit&also&pledged&to&take&measures&to&prevent&a&bird&Wlu&pandemic.&Participants&agreed&to&be&transparent,
to&report&any&outbreak&quickly&and&set&up&a&network&of&stockpiles&of&antiviral&drugs.&Also,&concerns&relating&to
economic&development&and&integration,&poverty&and&eradication&and&energy&security&are&included,&apart&from&the
main&stream&of&political&and&security&measures.

B Forging Common ASEAN Policies and Stands in Natural Resource Management

Policy&guidelines&form&the&backbone&of&a&regions&perspectives&and&over&time,&if&adopted&by&its&members,&will
facilitate&harmonization&or&integration.&ASEANs&policy&guidelines&on&natural&resources&are&found&in&a&number&of
declarations&and&resolutions&dating&from&the&1981&Manila)Declaration)on)the)ASEAN)Environment.[56]&The&objective
of&this&Declaration&was&to&ensure&the&protection&of&the&ASEAN&environment&and&the&sustainability&of&its&natural
resources.&It&recognizes&both&that&the&development&processes&in&ASEAN&must&be&accelerated&to&meet&the&growing
needs&and&to&eradicate&poverty&and&provide&a&quality&of&life,&and&that&these&processes&can&only&be&sustained&if&the
natural&resources&are&sustained.&It&stressed&the&utilization&of&natural&resources&to&meet&the&needs&of&present&and
future&generations,&and&calls&for&an&integrated&approach.
Other&policy&guidelines&laid&down&by&ASEAN&have&been&used&in&the&formulation&of&the&various&ASEAN&programs,
plans&of&action,&strategies,&and&terrestrial&and&marine&protected&areas.&The&policy&imperatives&for&a&sustainable
transition&in&environment&and&development&focused&on&incorporating&environmental&factors&in&economic
evaluations.&A&summary&of&the&various&policies&for&ASEANs&natural&resources&includes:
Environment&management&of&natural&resources&&eg,&use&of&environmental&impact&assessments&(EIAs);
Nature&conservation&and&biological&resources&&eg,&develop&new&practicable&approaches&for&conservation&of
forests,&fauna&and&Wlora&and&ecological&systems;
Marine&and&marine&resources&&eg,&develop&practicable&methods&for&management&of&pollution&discharges
which&could&destroy&wetlands,&corals,&etc;&developing&marine&protected&areas;
Freshwater&resources&and&ecosystems&&eg,&promote&a&multiVsectoral&approach&to&water&management,
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planning&for&sustainable&utilization,&protection&and&adequate&supply.
There&were&also&common&stands&taken&by&ASEAN&member&states&in&the&Singapore)Resolution)on)Environment)and
Development[57]&on&18&February&1992&to&promote&its&common)views&at&the&4th&UNCED&Preparatory&Committee
Meeting&which&was&to&be&held&in&New&York&in&March&1992,&and&the&2nd&Ministerial&Conference&of&Developing
Countries&on&Environment&and&Development,&which&was&to&be&held&in&Kuala&Lumpur&in&April&1992.&ASEANs&Wirm
cooperation&as&a&subVregional&organization&in&the&global&forum&of&UNCED&is&reWlected&in&this&Resolution:
ASEAN&shall&continue&to&actively&participate&in&and&support&international&efforts&in&promoting&the&principles
of&sustainable&development;
To&enhance&regional&cooperation&towards&sustainable&development&ASEAN&member&countries&agreed&certain
policies.
The&Resolution&also&conWirms&ASEANs&responsibilities,&inter)alia,&in&freshwater&resources,&forests&and&conservation
of&biological&diversity.&Since&the&1992&United&Nations&Conference&on&Environment&and&Development&(UNCED)[58]
and&the&2003&World&Summit&on&Sustainable&Development&(WSSD),[59]&ASEAN&has&progressively&cooperated&in&the
area&of&natural&resources&and,&today,&this&is&reWlected&in&many&signiWicant&areas.

C Programs and Plans of Action on Natural Resource Management

There&are&four&main&general&environmental&programs/action&plans&which&include&natural&resource&management.
These&are:&the&ASEAN)Subregional)Environmental)Program)(ASEP)&1988V1992;&ASEAN)Strategic)Plan)of)Action)on
the)Environment&(ASPAE))1994N1998;)Hanoi)Plan)of)Action)(HPA))1999N2004;)and&Vientiane&Action&Programme
(VAP)&2004V2010.&These&programs&are&a&continuum.
Beginning&with&the&ASEP,&speciWic&priority&areas&were&identiWied&which&would&beneWit&from&regional&cooperation.
These&ASEP&criteria&still&apply&to&natural&resources&programs&in&which&ASEAN&has&cooperated.
ASEP:
is&participated&in&by&the&majority&of&ASEAN&member&countries.&It&is&endorsed&by&all&ASEAN&countries,
strengthens&national&capacities&and&develops&ASEAN&cooperation;
is&based&on&the&existing&situation&and&needs&of&the&region.&It&would&beneWit&from&regional&collaboration;
is&aimed&at&achieving&both&shortVterm&and&longVterm&results;
is&actionVoriented.&It&is&expected&to&lead&towards&concrete&governmental&actions.&ASEPs&intention&is&to
transform&the&agreement&of&regional&meetings&into&national&programs&of&action&drawing,&wherever
appropriate,&upon&full&cooperation&of&governmental&agencies,&nonVgovernmental&organizations,&private
sectors&and&related&international&agencies;
is&dynamic&in&nature.&It&is&Wlexible&and&can&incorporate&new&emerging&issues&which&would&merit&regional
attention.
Two&of&the&program&areas&under&ASEP&were&nature&conservation&and&the&marine&environment.&These&were
continued&with&reWinements&under&the&ASPAE:&Strategy&5&which&called&for&the&establishment&of&a&regional
framework&on&biological&diversity&conservation&and&sustainable&utilization&of&its&components.&Strategy&6&dealt&with
marine&environment&and&called&for&the&protection&of&marine&resources&such&as&mangroves&and&corals.[60]&The&HPA
dealt&with&time&frames&for&completion&of&some&of&ASEANs&initiatives&including&those&relating&to&natural&resources.
The&HPA&also&focused&on&a&number&of&factors[61]&aimed&at&bringing&about&ASEANs&progress&in&regional
cooperation/integration.[62]&Finally,&the&VAP&further&seeks&to&strengthen&efforts&to&meet&its&commitments&in&three
communities&including&the&socioVcultural&community&&under&this&pillar&the&natural&resources&programs&are
included.[63]
For&example,&in&nature&conservation&and&biodiversity,&the&measures&to&be&taken&include:
Reduction&of&the&current&rate&of&loss&of&biological&diversity&by&2010&(WSSD&target);
Promotion&of&further&listing&and&coordinated&management&of&ASEAN&Heritage&Parks&as&a&platform&for
ecosystemVbased&protected&areas&management;
Facilitation&of&access&and&fair&and&equitable&sharing&of&beneWits&arising&from&the&regional&biological&and
genetic&resources,&by&effectively&implementing&the&ASEAN&Framework&Agreement&on&Access&to,&and&Fair&and
Equitable&Sharing&of&BeneWits&Arising&from&the&Utilization&of&Genetic&and&Biological&Resources&(sic);
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Setting&in&place&measures&to&minimize&impacts&of&transboundary&movement&of&living&modiWied&organisms&in
accordance&with&the&ASEAN&Guidelines&on&Risk&Assessment&of&Agricultural&GMOs;
Promotion&of&national&and&regional&cooperation&to&address&measures&related&to&the&cluster&of&multilateral
environmental&agreements&addressing&biological&diversity&such&as&the&Convention&on&Biological&Diversity,
CITES,&Ramsar&Convention;
Establishment&of&a&functional&regional&database&or&network&of&national&databases&containing&an&inventory&of
the&biological&resources&of&the&ASEAN&Region;
Enhancement&of&the&role&and&capacity&of&the&ASEAN&Centre&for&Biodiversity&to&function&as&an&effective
regional&centre&of&excellence&in&promoting&biodiversity&conservation&and&management;
Addressing&issues&pertaining&to&invasive&alien&species.
Other&program&areas&and&measures&under&the&VAP&on&natural&resources&include&land,&freshwater&resources,
agriculture&(crops,&livestock&and&Wisheries),&forest&Wires,&and&coastal&marine&environment.

D Other Soft Law Instruments on Protection of Natural Resources

Apart&from&the&above&programs&and&plans,&there&are&speciWic&instruments&on&the&protection&of&various&natural
resources:
Water&Resources&Management
ASEAN)Long)Term)Strategic)Plan)for)Water)Resources,)20032025[64]
ASEAN)Strategic)Plan)of)Action)on)Water)Resources)Management,)2005[65]
Heritage&Parks
ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks)and)Reserves,)1984[66]
ASEAN)Criteria)for)Marine)Heritage)Areas,)2002[67]
ASEAN)Criteria)for)National)Marine)Protected)Areas,)2002[68]
ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks,)2003[69]
Agriculture
ASEAN)Ministerial)Understanding)on)Plant)Quarantine)Ring,)1982[70]
ASEAN)Guidelines)on)Risk)Assessment)of)Agriculture)related)Genetically)ModiKied)Organisms,)1999)[71]
Fisheries
ASEAN)Ministerial)Understanding)on)Fisheries)Cooperation,)1983[72]
Forestry
Jakarta)Consensus)on)ASEAN)Tropical)Forestry)of)the)Third)Meeting)of)the)ASEAN)Economic)Ministers)on)Agriculture
and)Forestry,)1981[73]
Biodiversity&Conservation,&Aspects&of&Animal&and&Human&Health:&Avian&Flu&and&SARS
Joint)Statement:)ASEAN)+)3)Ministers)of)Health)Special)Meeting)on)SARS,)Kuala)Lumpur,)Malaysia,)2003[74]
Joint)Resolution:)ASEAN)+3)(China,)Japan,)Korea))Aviation)Forum)on)the)Joint)Declaration)and)Containment)of)SARS,
2003[75]
Joint)Declaration:)Special)ASEAN)Leaders)Meeting)on)Severe)Acute)Respiratory)Syndrome)(SARS),)Bangkok,)Thailand,
2003[76]
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Joint)Statement)of)the)Special)ASEAN)+)3)Health)Ministers)Meeting)on)Severe)Acute)Respiratory)Syndrome)(SARS),
2003[77]
Joint)Ministerial)Statement)on)Prevention)and)Control)of)Avian)InKluenza,)Bangkok,)Thailand,)2004[78]
East)Asia)Summit)Declaration)on)Avian)InKluenza)Prevention,)Control)and)Response,)Kuala)Lumpur,)Malaysia,
2005[79]
Species
Memorandum)of)Understanding)on)ASEAN)Sea)Turtle)Conservation)and)Protection,)1997[80]
ASEAN)Statement)on)the)Convention)on)International)Trade)in)Endangered)Species)of)Wild)Fauna)and)Flora,)2004[81]
ASEAN)Regional)Action)Plan)on)Trade)in)Wild)Fauna)and)Flora,)2005N2010[82]
ASEAN)Statement)on)Launching)of)the)ASEAN)Wildlife)Law)Enforcement)Network)(ASEANNWEN),)2005 [83]

E Some Specific Areas of Cooperation in Natural Resources

It&is&beyond&the&scope&of&this&paper&to&deal&with&all&these&instruments.&I&shall&brieWly&cover&a&few&areas:
1&Forestry
Uncontrolled&deforestation,&illegal&logging&and&forest&Wires&have&been&some&of&the&most&pressing&problems&in&the
region&particularly&in&Indonesia,&the&Philippines,&Malaysia&and&Myanmar.&For&example,&at&some&time&in&February
2006,&an&entire&village&in&Leyte,&Philippines,&was&buried&under&a&major&mud&landslide&&this&bears&testimony&to&the
years&of&illegal&logging.[84]&The&ASEAN)Vision)2020&calls&for&the&promotion&of&sustainable&forestry&through
harmonizing&environmental,&social,&and&economic&policies&in&the&ASEAN&member&states.&There&have&been&a&number
of&environmental&instruments&on&sustainable&forestry.&More&recently,&the&ASEAN&Ministers&of&Agriculture&and
Forestry&(AMAF)&endorsed&the&Framework)for)ASEAN)Regional)Criteria)and)Indicators)(C&I))for)Sustainable
Management)of)Natural)Tropical)Forests,)2000.[85]&The&concerns&which&are&addressed&by&the&Framework&include
criteria&setting,&institutionalization&of&certiWication,&ecoVlabeling&procedures,&costing,&lack&of&holistic&land&use
planning,&economic&valuation&and&transparency,&and&the&harmonization&of&approaches&to&sustainability&assessment.
2&ASEAN)Heritage)Parks:)Progressive)Convergence)from)1984)to)2003
This&is&a&landmark&example&of&progressive&development&from&the&rudimentary&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage
Parks)and)Reserves&way&back&in&1984[86]&to&the&2003&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks,[87]&where&27&Heritage
Parks&in&the&ten&member&states&have&been&designated.
The&concept&of&ASEAN&Heritage&Parks&(AHPs)&and&transboundary&conservation&areas&was&Wirst&introduced&by&the
then&ASEAN&Expert&Group&on&Environment&(AEGE)&in&1978.&AHPs&are&protected&areas&of&high&conservation
importance&preserving&in&total&a&complete&spectrum&of&representative&ecosystems&of&the&ASEAN&region.&There&were
various&stages&in&its&development,&beginning&from&1978.[88]
Following&the&recommendation&of&the&AEGE,&an&ASEAN&Workshop&on&Nature&Conservation&was&held&from&15V17
September&1980&in&Bali&at&which&an&action&plan&on&ASEAN&Heritage&Reserves&was&discussed.&The&Workshop&also
considered&transboundary&conservation.&The&following&were&some&of&the&issues&raised:
Common&criteria&in&establishing&a&reserve&system&of&regional&and&national&importance&of&beneWit&to&the&local
population;
Transfrontier&cooperation;
Management&cooperation&on&shared&endangered&species;
Establishment&of&several&major&ecotype&reserves;
Establishment&of&a&regional&task&force&to&develop&an&action&plan.
The&next&stage&saw&IUCN&providing&the&technical&assistance&to&develop&an&action&plan.&The&focus&was&on&those
ecosystems&and&species&that&are&either&signiWicant&to&the&region&as&a&whole&or&require&cooperation&to&effect&their
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conservation.&This&led&to&the&1984&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks)and)Reserves[89]&which&was&adopted&by&the
Second&ASEAN&Ministerial&Meeting&on&the&Environment&on&29&November&1984&in&Bangkok&and&signed&by&the&then
six&ASEAN&member&states,&namely,&Brunei,&Indonesia,&Malaysia,&Philippines,&Singapore&and&Thailand.
The&objective&of&the&1984&Declaration&was&to&assist&the&governments&toward&the&attainment&of&conservation&and&to
protect&the&biodiversity&heritage&of&the&ASEAN&countries&through&the&establishment&of&a&national&integrated
protected&areas&system&based&on&scientiWic&principles.
All&the&then&six&ASEAN&countries&except&Singapore&designated&some&AHPs&under&the&1984&Declaration,&which
provided&for&a&master&plan&to&be&drawn&up&for&each&park&taking&into&consideration&the&following:
Maintenance&of&ecological&processes&and&life&support&systems;
Preservation&of&genetic&diversity;
Ensuring&sustainable&utilization&of&species&and&ecosystems;
Maintenance&of&wilderness&that&is&of&scenic,&cultural,&educational,&recreational&and&tourism&value.
However,&nothing&very&much,&if&at&all,&was&done&at&national&level,&and&no&management&plans&were&drafted&for&the
then&six&designated&AHPs.
The&next&stage&which&could&have&further&developed&the&AHP&concept&was&in&1985&when&the&ASEAN)Agreement)on
the)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural)Resources,[90],&which&can&be&considered&backVtoVback&with&the&1984
Declaration,&was&signed&by&the&then&six&ASEAN&countries.&Unfortunately,&it&has&yet&to&enter&into&force,&with&only
three&ratiWications&out&of&the&six&signatories.&However,&there&has&been&renewed&interest&in&the&ratiWication&of&this
Agreement.[91]&Article&13&of&the&Agreement&contains&very&comprehensive&provisions&on&protected&areas&and&calls
for&a&coordinated&network&of&protected&areas&throughout&the&region&and&for&an&Appendix&to&be&developed
containing&principles,&objectives,&criteria&and&guidelines&in&light&of&the&best&scientiWic&evidence.&It&also&calls&for&the
conservation&of&natural&areas&by&private&owners,&community&or&local&authorities.
Another&stage&in&the&process&was&in&Strategy&5&of&the&ASEAN)Strategic)Plan)of)Action)on)the)Environment)1994N1998
(ASPAE)&which&was&to&establish&a&regional&framework&on&biological&diversity&conservation&&Strategy&5.1&states
that:
&The&absence&of&a&regional&framework&for&the&protection&and&conservation&of&heritage&areas&and
endangered&species&only&exacerbates&the&situation&as&management&efforts&are&left&to&individual
member&countries.&There&is&a&need&to&develop&a&framework&for&the&protection&of&these&areas&and
species&so&as&to&ensure&that&conservation&approaches&are&rationalized.[92]
The&Actions&to&be&undertaken&to&implement&the&Strategy&were:
5.1&Promote&the&development&of&a&framework&for&the&protection&and&conservation&of&heritage&areas&and
endangered&species;&and
5.2&Strengthen&capacities&for&Research&and&Development&(R&D)&to&enhance&biodiversity&conservation&in&the&region.
The&protection&of&endangered&species&in&the&AHPs&would&assist&in&the&implementation&of&CITES,&which&has&been
ratiWied&by&all&of&the&ASEAN&countries.[93]
The&Hanoi)Plan)of)Action)1999N2004,&a&continuum&of&the&ASPAE,&provided&that&in&order&to&protect&the&environment
and&promote&sustainable&development,&it&is&necessary&to&promote&regional&coordination&for&the&protection&of&the
ASEAN&Heritage&Parks&and&Reserves.[94]
In&2003&ASEAN&kept&to&its&Hanoi&schedule&and&the&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks)(ADHP)[95]&was&adopted
by&the&current&ten&ASEAN&member&countries.
The&Preamble&to&the&ADHP&mentions&the&Convention&on&Biological&Diversity&(CBD).[96]&All&ASEAN&countries&except
Brunei&have&ratiWied&the&CBD&(Thailand&being&the&latest&to&do&so&in&2004).&The&ADHP&Preamble&supports&the&CBDs
recognition&of&in)situ&conservation&of&ecosystems&and&natural&habitats&as&a&fundamental&requirement&for&the
conservation&of&biodiversity&in&protected&areas.&In&the&Programme&of&Work&on&Protected&Areas,&the&CBD&at&the&7th
Conference&of&the&Parties&meeting&in&February&VMarch&2004&in&Kuala&Lumpur[97]&(Decision&VII/28&&Protected
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Areas&&Articles&8&(a)&to&(e),&Annex)&recommended&that&the&Program&takes&into&consideration&the&relationship
between&protected&areas&and&landscape&so&that&goods&and&services&Wlowing&from&the&protected&areas&can&be&valued.
The&ADHP&Preamble&also&takes&note&of&the&role&of&natural&sites&under&the&World&Heritage&Convention&to&reduce&loss
of&biodiversity.&Some&of&the&AHPs&may&well&be&future&World&Heritage&sites.&The&synergies&of&these&with&other
biodiversity&instruments&such&as&the&Ramsar)Convention&on)Wetlands)of)International)Importance)especially)as
Waterfowl)Habitat,[98]&the&ASEAN)Agreement)on)the)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural)Resources&(though&not&yet
in&force),[99]&the&1997&Memorandum)of)Understanding)on)ASEAN)Sea)Turtle)Conservation)and)Protection,[100]&etc
must&all&be&taken&into&consideration&in&developing&management&guidelines&for&AHPs.
Why,&it&may&be&asked,&did&the&process&of&convergence&take&so&long?&It&is&not&surprising,&as&ASEAN&had&to&take&time
to&mature&to&understand&the&importance&of&environmental&sustainability&&indeed,&the&notion&of&sustainability&only
came&into&political&legitimacy&in&the&Brundtland&Report&in&1987.[101]&Environmental&law&was&also&not&quite&the&top
priority&in&the&ASEAN&scheme&of&things&as&it&is&beginning&to&be&now.
3&ASEAN)Statement)on)CITES)(Convention)on)International)Trade)in)Endangered)Species),)2004
In&recent&years,&ASEAN&has&recognized&the&need&to&coordinate&joint&actions&to&address&the&illegal&exploitation&and
trade&in&CITESVlisted&species&within&the&ASEAN&region.&This&involves&the&sharing&of&information&and&technical
expertise&of&governmental,&intergovernmental&agencies,&and&nonV&governmental&organizations.
At&the&Thirteenth&Meeting&of&the&Conference&of&the&Parties&to&the&Convention)on)International)Trade)in)Endangered
Species)of)Wild)Fauna)and)Flora)(CITES),[102]&ASEAN&issued&a&statement&on&11&October&2004&on&the
implementation&of&CITES.[103]&It&acknowledged&that&while&progress&was&made&at&national&and&ASEAN&levels&in
promoting&sustainable&use&of&wild&fauna&and&Wlora,&concerted&action&within&ASEAN&was&required.&Also,&the&laws&in
each&of&the&ASEAN&member&states&are&inadequate&with&the&result&that&illegal&trade&is&rife.&Many&syndicates&and
networks&in&the&region&and&beyond,&take&advantage&of&this&inadequacy.[104]
Some&of&the&main&points&in&the&ASEAN&Statement&on&CITES&read:
1.&to&enhance&awareness&of&and&to&ensure&further&cooperation&and&coordination&among&all&national&agencies
involved&in&wild&fauna&and&Wlora&trade&law&enforcement&including&the&sharing&of&intelligence;
2.&to&further&promote&regional&cooperation&through&the&establishment&of&bilateral&and&multilateral&arrangements
between&enforcement&agencies&responsible&for&common&boundaries&to&achieve&more&effective&control&of&illegal
international&trade&in&wild&fauna&and&Wlora&and&their&products;
3.&to&strengthen&enforcement&efforts&along&key&border&regions,&including&further&building&of&capacity&and&capability;
4.&to&consider&undertaking&the&review&of&their&respective&national&legislation&to&facilitate&the&implementation&of
CITES&if&deemed&necessary;
Pursuant&to&paragraph&4&of&the&Statement,&Singapore&amended&its&laws&to&increase&the&Wines&and&also&to&make
liability&based&on&per&specimen&instead&of&per&species.[105]
4&Avian)Flu)&)SARS:)Culling)Domesticated)and)Wildlife)Species
The&problems&raised&by&avian&Wlu&and&SARS&include&not&only&issues&of&environmental&public&health&but&also
biodiversity&conservation&and&sustainable&development.[106]
In&the&case&of&avian&Wlu,&millions&of&poultry&and&migratory&birds&have&been&culled&as&preventive&measures.&Also,
some&habitats&of&wild&migratory&species&in&the&region&such&as&wetlands&were&sprayed&with&toxic&chemicals&as&a
measure&to&cull&migratory&species.&In&the&case&of&SARS,&many&civet!cats&and&some&other&species&were&culled.
The&ASEAN&countries&that&have&been&affected&either&by&avian&Wlu&or&SARS&include&Indonesia,&Malaysia,&Laos,&the
Philippines,&Singapore,&Thailand&and&Vietnam.&The&other&countries&in&Asia&which&were&affected&include&the&Peoples
Republic&of&China,&Japan,&Republic&of&Korea&and&Mongolia.&Avian&Wlu&has&now&spread&to&other&parts&of&the&world.
ASEAN&has,&so&far,&focused&on&the&health&issues&rather&than&the&biodiversity&conservation&aspects&of&the&two
zoonotic&diseases&(see&the&ASEAN&instruments&on&avian&Wlu&and&SARS&referred&to&previously.&In&the&case&of&avian&Wlu,
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for&example,&ASEAN&has&not&addressed&the&ecological&impact&of&culling&migratory&birds&and&also&the&problem&of&the
destruction&of&habitats/wetlands&(where&migratory&birds&have&their&resting&place)&as&a&method&of&culling&migratory
birds&and&other&wildlife&species.&In&the&VAP&(Vientiane&Action&Plan),[107]&measures&are&being&considered&to&prevent
the&spread&of&zoonotic&diseases[108]&but&there&is&no&cross&reference&to&the&section&on&nature&conservation&and
biodiversity&(VAP,&Annex&3:&3.3.8).
At&the&height&of&the&outbreak&of&avian&Wlu&in&2004,&the&question&of&whether&migratory&birds&from&the&East&Asian
Flyway&are&to&be&blamed&for&the&virus&was&raised.[109]&The&following&questions&should&be&considered&by&ASEAN:
What&should&the&policy&considerations&for&culling&be?
Is&the&precautionary&principle&a&useful&tool&in&deciding&when&to&undertake&mass&culling?
What&are&the&implications&of&culling&on&some&biodiversityVrelated&conventions&(eg,&CBD,&Ramsar,&and
Convention&on&Migratory&Species)?
It&should&be&noted&that&any&indiscriminate&culling,&whether&by&deliberate&killing&or&poisoning&of&habitats,&may&bring
about&unintended&consequences&detrimental&to&natural&resources&and&biological&sustainability.&We&should&heed&the
grim&reminder&of&what&China&did&in&the&1950s&when&it&embarked&on&a&massive&killing&of&birds&in&the&belief&that&they
were&eating&the&rice&in&the&Wields.&After&the&culling&had&been&carried&out,&the&rice&crops&still&failed.&It&was&thereafter
discovered&that&the&birds&were&actually&eating&worms&and&only&incidentally&ate&some&rice&grains.

IV Conclusion
This&survey&of&ASEANs&efforts&in&the&protection&and&management&of&natural&resources&in&the&region&demonstrates
more&of&a&convergence&than&divergence,&not&so&much&in&terms&of&integration&(at&least&not&in&the&context&of
environment&&perhaps&more&in&the&economic&Wield)&but&rather&towards&the&harmonization&of&policies,&programs,
plans&of&action,&strategies&and&guidelines.
It&is&interesting&to&note&that&the&former&Secretary&General&of&ASEAN,&Rodolfo&C&Severino,&in&an&address&on&the
Future&of&ASEAN&Economic&Integration&said:
Any&comparison&between&Europe&as&integrated&in&the&European&Union&on&the&one&hand&and&Asia,&as
exempliWied&by&ASEAN,&on&the&other&hand&is&at&best&gratuitous&and&at&worst&odious.&In&a&talk&I&gave&in
Brussels&a&few&years&ago,&I&said&that&comparing&ASEAN&to&the&EU&reminded&me&of&that&despairing
lament&of&Professor&Higgins&in&My&Fair&Lady,&Why&cant&a&woman&be&more&like&a&man?&This&was&in
reference&to&the&custom&of&measuring&ASEANs&progress&in&regional&integration&against&the&EUs
achievements.&I&said&then&that&this&was&a&bit&unfair,&since&ASEAN&was&never&meant&to&be&like&the&EU,
which&has&a&European&Commission&that&negotiates&trade&agreements&on&behalf&of&the&Union,&a
supranational&authority&with&powers&of&enforcement,&and&which&has&now&produced&a&draft
constitution.&On&the&other&hand,&ASEAN&memberVstates&have&been&from&the&beginning&jealous&of&and
sensitive&about&their&sovereignty&and&remain&so,&quite&apart&from&the&immense&diversity&of&Southeast
Asia.[110]
This&was&spoken&in&the&context&of&economic&integration&but&it&is&equally&applicable&in&the&approach&to&natural
resources&management.&What&is&the&difference&between&the&two&concepts?&The&difference&seems&to&be&one&of
degree.&Integration&involves&a&total&fusion,&such&as&an&agreement&which&applies&uniformly&to&all&states.
Harmonization&is&something&less&and&may&be&manifested&in&a&less&formalistic&approach&such&as&adoption&of
policies,&strategies,&guidelines,&etc.
One&of&the&most&remarkable&processes&of&ASEAN&in&institutionalizing&regional&cooperation&is&the&progressive
evolution&from&the&ASEAN&Way&to&the&ASEAN&Charter&Way.&From&the&conWlict&among&ASEAN&member&states&in
Wlexible&engagement&when&it&was&Wirst&mooted,&ASEAN&has&travelled&a&long&way&to&an&ASEAN)Charter&in&the&making.
However,&it&is&not&clear&at&this&moment&the&extent&to&which&ASEAN&is&prepared&to&go&the&hard&way.&What&is&clear&is
that&ASEAN&will&never&be&quite&the&same&again.&The&new&approach&will&spill&over&into&the&way&ASEAN&will&deal&with
the&management&of&natural&resources.&A&more&legalistic&approach,&for&example,&will&give&more&teeth&in&the&solution
of&forest&Wires.&Notions&of&sovereignty&will&spill&over&from&the&political&to&other&areas&including&sovereignty&over
natural&resources.&This&is&an&example&of&convergence&from&divergence.
The&notion&of&sovereignty,&a&twin&aspect&of&the&ASEAN&Way,&should&be&reconsidered&in&the&context&of&environmental
law.&When&the&doctrine&was&evolved,&the&main&actors&in&international&law&were&states&and&the&doctrine&legitimised
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states&to&do&what&they&wanted&within&their&own&territory.&Today,&in&environmental&law&there&are&many&nonVstate
actors&ranging&from&corporations&to&NGOs&and&individuals&who&play&a&vital&role&in&public&participation&and&in
shaping&the&notion&of&sustainable&development.&Functionally,&the&doctrine&of&sovereignty&has&been&eroded&and
states&can&no&longer&justify&sovereignty&to&the&hilt.
Pursuant&to&the&1997)Memorandum)of)Understanding)on)ASEAN)Sea)Turtle)Conservation)and)Protection,[111]&ASEAN
can&forge&a&regional&stand&to&facilitate&recommendations&which&have&an&impact&on&natural&resources&including
endangered&species&such&as&sea&turtles.&For&example,&in&the&case&of&United)States))Import)Prohibitions)of)Certain
Shrimp)and)Shrimp)Products,[112]&the&World&Trade&Organization&Appellate&Body&advocated&the&adoption&of&effective
measures&to&protect&endangered&species,&such&as&sea&turtles&which&are&recognized&under&CITES.&The&Appellate
Body&further&encouraged&sovereign&states&to&act&together&bilaterally,&plurilaterally&or&multilaterally,&either&within
the&WTO&or&in&other&international&fora,&to&protect&endangered&species&or&to&otherwise&protect&the&environment.
[113]&Thus,&ASEAN&can&at&some&future&date&cooperate&to&deal&with&a&common&position&regarding&the&use&of&TED
(turtle&excluder&devices)&which&would&protect&sea&turtles.&This&would&strengthen&the&ASEAN&MOU&on&sea&turtles.
ASEAN&could&further&cooperate&in&the&area&of&avian&Wlu&and&SARS&&it&can&move&from&the&public&health&to&the
conservation&issues&brought&about&by&culling.&An&ecosystem&approach&could&be&taken&under&the&CBD.&Farmed
poultry&comes&within&the&scope&of&the&CBD&as&it&can&be&considered&a&domesticated&species&under&Article&2&for&the
following&reasons:&A&chicken&is&a&bird&and&todays&chickens&are&believed&to&be&descended&from&the&red&jungle&fowl.
[114]&Article&6&of&the&CBD&deals&with&general&measures&for&conservation&and&sustainable&use,&eg,&biodiversity
strategies,&plans&or&programs.&In&planning&for&a&good&management&system&for&animal&husbandry,&ASEAN&could
cooperate&with&the&relevant&secretariats&of&the&various&biodiversityVrelated&Conventions.
Regarding&the&implementation&of&ASEANs&initiatives&at&the&national&level,&the&ultimate&test&for&success&in
convergence&from&regional&to&national&levels&is&when&member&states&implement&these&initiatives,&having&regard&to
the&extent&and&time&period.&The&ASEAN&Heritage&Parks&designated&in&each&member&state&pursuant&to&the&ASEAN
Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks&illustrate&this&case&in&point.&The&management&of&the&AHPs&in&each&member&country
would&also&follow&certain&guidelines&under&international&environmental&instruments&such&as&the&Convention)on
Biological)Diversity&and&the&World)Heritage)Convention)noted&in&the&Preamble&to&the&Declaration.&Yet&another
example&is&the&implementation&of&the&ASEAN)Statement)on)CITES,&where&Singapore&amended&its&Endangered)Species
(Import)and)Export))Act)2006,&soon&after&the&Statement&in&2004.
I&might&end&with&the&ASEAN&theme&song,&ASEAN&Our&Way[115]
ASEAN&you&are&our&way
United&we&all&stand
Together&as&one&community
We&are&ASEAN
A&community&with&diversity
In&harmony&to&foster&unity
Proud&of&our&traditions
Working&together&for&integration
Building&nations&of&ASEAN&community
In&cooperation&with&dialogue&partners
For&peace,&stability&and&prosperity
United&for&the&cause&of&humanity
We&are&ASEAN
One&vision,&one&identify,&one&community
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Moving&forward&in&a&global&fraternity
For&the&cause&of&justice,&equality&and&unity
Let&us&come&together&and&be&ASEAN
Of&one,&ASEAN&is&our&way
Let&us&come&together&and&be&ASEAN
Of&one,&ASEAN&is&our&way.
In&future,&someone&may&compose&a&song,&The&ASEAN&Charter&Way.
*&Professor&of&Law,&National&University&of&Singapore&and&Director,&AsiaVPaciWic&Centre&for&Environmental&Law;&Paper
originally&presented&at&the&3rd&Asian&Law&Institute&Conference,&Shanghai,&China,&25V26&May&2006.
1&ASEAN)Vision)2020,&Kuala&Lumpur,&15&December&1997,&<http://www/aseansec.org/&1814.htm>&28&May&2007.
[2]&The)ASEAN)Declaration)(Bangkok)Declaration),&Bangkok,&8&August&1967,&see&KhengVLian&Koh&(compiler),

Selected)ASEAN)Documents)on)the)Environment,&APCEL)Document)Series,&1996,&iiViv,
<http://www.aseansec.org/1212.htm

>&28&May&2007.&The&founder&members&were&Indonesia,&Malaysia,&the&Philippines,&Singapore&and&Thailand.
[3]&Rodolfo&C.&Severino,&ASEAN)Report)to)the)World)Summit)on)Sustainable)Development&(Paper&presented&at&the

WSSD,&Johnannesburg,&26&AugustV4&September&2002)&24&<http://www.&aseansec.org/pdf/WSSD.pdf>&28&May
2007.
[4]&Rescuing&ASEANs&MegaVbiodiversity&<http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/Article/Article2002/&sept/

sept15c.html>&28&May&2007.

[5]&The&ASEAN&Way&emphasizes&three&main&features:&decision&by&consensus&(musyawarah)&rather&than&rules;&nonV

intervention&in&each&others&domestic&affairs;&and&application&of&the&doctrine&of&sovereignty&(infra).

[6]&Kuala)Lumpur&Declaration)on)the)Establishment)of)the)ASEAN)Charter,&Kuala&Lumpur,&12&December&2005

<http://www.aseansec.org/18030.htm
>&28&May&2007.
[7]&ASEAN)Vision)2020,&above&n&1.

[8]&ASEAN)Agreement)on)the)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural)Resources,&opened&for&signature&9&July&1985&(not

yet&entered&into&force)&<http://www.aseansec.org/1490.htm
>&28&May&2007.

[9]&ASEAN)Agreement)on)Transboundary)Haze)Pollution,&opened&for&signature&10&June&2002&(entered&into&force

November&2003)&<http://www.aseansec.org/agr_haze.pdf&>
28&May&2007.

[10]&Letter&from&the&Thai&Ministry&of&Foreign&Affairs,&10&June&B.E.2545&(2002).
[11]&Draft&ASEAN)Framework)Agreement)on)Access)to)Biological)and)Genetic)Resources&(24&February&2000)

<http://www.grain.org./docs/aseanVaccessV2000Ven.pdf
>&28&May&2007.

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[12]&Nicholas&A&Robinson,&Strategies)Toward)Sustainable)Development:)Implementing)Agenda)21&(2004)&10.
[13]&Edith&Brown&Weiss&(ed),&International)Compliance)with)Nonbinding)Accords&(1997).
[14]&ASEAN)Charter,&above&n&6.
[15]&The)Straits)Times)(Singapore),&13&December&2005,&6.
[16]&See&eg&Declaration)of)ASEAN)Concord)II)(Bali)Concord)II)&7&October&2003

<http://www.aseansec.org/15159.htm>&28&May&2007.

[17]&KhengVLian&Koh&and&N&A&Robinson,&Strengthening&Sustainable&Development&in&Regional&InterVGovernmental

Governance:&Lessons&from&the&ASEAN&Way&(2002)&6&Singapore)Journal)of)International)&)Comparative)Law&640;
KhengVLian&Koh&and&N&A&Robinson,&Regional&Environmental&Governance:&Examining&the&Association&of&Southeast
Asian&Nations&in&D&C&Esty&and&M&H&Ivanova&(eds),&Global)Environmental)Governance:&Options)&)Opportunities
(2002)&101.
[18]&The)ASEAN)Declaration,&above&n&2.
[19]&Environmental&concerns&came&later&but&were&approached&through&the&ASEAN&Way.
[20]&The)Straits)Times)(Singapore),17&March&2006,&Review&25,&excerpts&from&Gretchen&Liu&(ed),)Singapore)Foreign

Service:)The)First)Forty)Years&(2006).

[21]&See&his&Press&BrieWing&on&Flexible&Engagement,&Manila,&24&July&1998.
[22]&Declaration)of)the)ASEAN)Concord&I&(Bali,&Indonesia,&24&February&1976)&<http://www.

aseansec.org/1216.htm>&at&29&March&2006.

[23]&Report&of&the&Eminent&Persons&Group&on&the&ASEAN&Charter&(ASEAN:&2006);&Cebu)Declaration)on)the)Blueprint

of)the)ASEAN)Charter&<http://www.aseansec.org/19257.htm

>&March&2007;&(The&Cebu)Declaration,&13&January&2007&reiterates&ASEANs&conviction&that&an&ASEAN&Charter&will
serve&as&a&Wirm&foundation&in&achieving&one&ASEAN&Community&by&providing&an&enhanced&institutional&framework
as&well&as&conferring&a&legal&personality&to&ASEAN)&<http://www.sunstar.com.ph/blogs/asean/?p=244
>&1&March&2007.
[24]&Declaration)of)ASEAN)Concord)II&(Bali,&Indonesia,&7&October&2003)&<http://www.aseansec.org/15159.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[25]&Charter)of)the)United)Nations,&opened&for&signature&26&June&1945&(entered&into&force&24&October&1945)&art&2(7)

<http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/chapter1.htm>&29&March&2006.

[26]&Resolution)on)Permanent)Sovereignty)over)Natural)Resources,&G.A&Res&1803&17th&sess,&1194th&plen&mtg,&UN&Doc

A/5217&(1962).&Many&ASEAN&instruments&have&incorporated&the&UN&Charter&as&well&as&the&above&resolution.

[27]&Thailands&NonVPaper&on&Flexible&Engagement&(NPFE&98)&<http://thaiembdc.org/pr/&pr743.htm>&28&May

2007.

[28]&Ibid.
[29]&Ibid.
[30]&ASEAN)Agreement)on)Transboundary)Haze)Pollution,&above&n&9.
[31]&Rewriting&the&ASEAN&Way,&The)Straits)Times)(Singapore),&13&December&2005.
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[32]&New&Charter&to&signal&need&for&reform&in&Myanmar,&The)Straits)Times)(Singapore),&13&December&2005.
[33]&Task&Force&on&Drafting&ASEAN&Charter&meets&in&Vietnam,&19V21&April&2007,&Hanoi,

<http://english.people.com.cn/200704/20/eng20070420_368280.html
>&28&May&2007.

[34]&Locknie&Hsu,&Towards&an&ASEAN&Charter:&Some&Thoughts&from&the&Legal&Perspective&in&Rodolfo&C&Severino

(comp),&Framing)the)ASEAN)Charter:)An)ISEAS)Perspective&(2005)&45.

[35] The&Agreement&will&enter&into&force&after&the&sixth&ratiWication,&Article&33;&KhengVLian&Koh,&ASEAN&Agreement

on&the&Conservation&of&Nature&and&Natural&Resources,&1985:&A&Study&in&Environmental&Governance&in&Diane
Pansky&(ed),&Governance)Stream)of)the)Vth)World)Parks)Congress&(2005).

[36]&Convention)on)Biological)Diversity,&opened&for&signature&5&June&1992,&1760&UNTS&79&(entered&into&force&29

December&1993).

[37]&Ibid,&<&http://www.cbd.int/default.shtml

>&28&May&2007.
[38]&Convention)on)the)Conservation)of)Migratory)Species)of)Wild)Animals,&opened&for&signature&23&June&1979

(entered&into&force&1&November&1983)&19&ILM&15.

[39]&Convention)on)International)Trade)in)Endangered)Species)of)Wild)Fauna)and)Flora,&opened&for&signature&3

March&1973&(entered&into&force&1&July&1975)&993&UNTS&243.

[40]&ASEAN)Agreement)on)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural)Resources,&above&n&8.
[41]&ASEAN)Agreement)on)Transboundary)Haze)Pollution,&above&n&9.
[42]&Letter&from&the&Thai&Ministry,&above&n&10.
[43]&Alan&Tan&Khee&Jin,&The&ASEAN&Agreement&on&Transboundary&Haze&Pollution:&Prospects&for&Compliance&and

Effectiveness&in&PostVSuharto&Indonesia&[2005]&New)York)University)Environmental)Law)Journal&647.

[44]&ASEAN)Framework)Agreement)on)Access)to)Biological)and)Genetic)Resources&(Draft&24&February&2000)

<http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:uD3C3M4ULyMJ:www.grain.org/

brl_Wiles/aseanVaccessV2000Ven.pdf+ASEAN+Agreement+access+to+Biological+resources
&hl=en&gl=sg&ct=clnk&cd=2>&29&March&2006.
[45]&The&success&of&the&implementation&of&these&instruments&depends&on&the&extent&to&which&the&member&states

ratify&the&1985&ASEAN)Agreement)on)Conservation)of)Nature)and)Natural)Resources)and&adopt&the&various&soft&law
instruments&at&the&national&level.
[46]&<http://www.aseansec.org/14547.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[47]&Convention)Concerning)the)Protection)of)the)World)Cultural)and)Natural)Heritage,&opened&for&signature&23

November&1972,&1037&UNTS&151&(entered&into&force&15&December&1975).

[48]&The&forerunner&was&the&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks)and)Reserves,&1984,&which&was&narrower&in&scope

as&it&was&adopted&before&the&CBD&in&1992,&and&before&the&inclusion&of&the&six&new&ASEAN&member&states.&These
examples&demonstrate&the&progressive&development&of&ASEAN&Heritage&Parks&which&today&sees&the&designation&of
Heritage&Parks&in&each&of&its&member&states.&KhengVLian&Koh,&Landscape/Seascape&Protection&in&ASEAN:
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Challenges&and&Opportunities&in&Antonio&H&Benjamin&(ed),&Landscape,)Nature)and)Law&(2005)&103;&KhengVLian
Koh,&Land&Stewardship&and&the&Law:&ASEAN&Heritage&Parks&and&Transboundary&Biodiversity&Conservation&in
Chalifour,&Nolon,&Lye&and&KameriVMbote&(eds),&Land)Use)for)Sustainable)Development&(in&press).
[49]&ASEAN&Working&Group&on&Marine&and&Coastal&Environment&<http://www.aseansec.org/&14541.htm>&29

March&2006.

[50]&AEAN&Working&Group&on&Water&Resource&Management&<http://www.gwpseatac.ait.ac.th/&aseanwrm.htm>&29

March&2006.

[51]&Under&the&ASEAN&Australia&Development&Cooperation&Programme&&Regional&Partnership&Scheme,&the&ASEAN

Strategic)Plan)of)Action)on)Water)Resources)Management&(Oct&2005)&was&published,
<www.aseansec.org/awgwrm/ASEAN%20Strategic%20Plan%20of%
20Action%20on%20Water%20Resources%20Management.pdf

>&28&May&2007;&See&also,&ASEAN)Long)Term)Strategic)Plan)for)Water)Resources)Management,&2003&(unpublished&
document&supplied&to&writer&by&the&ASEAN&Secretariat,&Jakarta).
[52]&ASEAN&Regional&Centre&for&Biological&Conservation&<http://www.arcbc.org.ph/default.html>&23&May&2007;

ASEAN&Centre&for&Biodiversity&<http://www.aseanbiodiversity.org/>&25&May&2007.
[53])WSSD)Plan)of)Implementation)<http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/documents/

summit_docs/2309_planWinal.htm>&para&42.

[54]&ASEAN&Linkages&Outside&the&Region&<http://www.aseasec.org/11849.htm

>&25&May&2007.
[55])Kuala)Lumpur)Declaration)on)the)East)Asia)Summit,&14&December&2005.&<http://www.aseansec.org/18098.htm

>&25&May&2007.
[56]&Manila)Declaration)on)the)ASEAN)Environment,&30&April&1981&<http:/www.aseansec.org/&1493.htm>&25&May

2007.

[57]&Singapore)Resolution)on)Environment)and)Development,&18&February&1992

<http://www.aseansec.org/6083.htm>&29&March&2006.

[58]&United&Nations&Conference&on&Environment&and&Development&<http://www.un.org/geninfo/bp/&enviro.html>

27&May&2007.

[59]&World&Summit&on&Sustainable&Development&<http://www.un.org./events/wssd>&27&May&2007.
[60]&ASEAN)Strategic)Plan)of)Action)on)the)Environment)1994N1998,&<http://www.aseansec.org/&8950.htm>&27&May

2007.

[61]&Hanoi)Plan)of)Action)(Protection)of)the)Environment)&<http://www.aseansec.org/&cme.HPA.ppt>&27&May&2007.
[62]&Cielito&F&Habito,&Fernando&T&Aldaba,&and&Ofelia&M&Templo,&An)Assessment)Study)on)the)Progress)of)ASEAN

Regional)Integration:)The)Ha)Noi)Plan)of)Action)toward)ASEAN)Vision)2020&(2004).

[63]&Vientiane)Action)Programme)(VAP))2004N2010&<http://www.aseansec.org/Publ_VAP.pdfVit.pdf

>&27&May&2007.
[64]&Obtained&from&ASEAN&Secretariat.

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[65]&Obtained&from&ASEAN&Secretariat.
[66]&<http://www.aseansec.org/1491.htm>&29&March&2006.
[67]&Obtained&from&ASEAN&Secretariat.
[68]&Obtained&from&ASEAN&Secretariat.
[69]&<http://www.aseansec.org/15524.htm>&29&March&2006.
[70]&<http://www.aseansec.org/6175.htm>&29&March&2006.
[71]&<http://www.aseansec.org/6226.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[72]&<http://www.aseansec.org/6177.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[73]&<http://www.aseansec.org/1338.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[74]&<http://www.aseansec.org/14745.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[75]&<http://www.aseansec.org/aviation_sars.htm

>&at&29&March&2006.
[76]&<http://www.aseansec.org/14749.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[77]&<http://www.aseansec.org/14746.htm>&29&March&2006.
[78]&<http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Meetings_joint_statementVasean3.pdf>&29&March&2006.
[79]&<http://www.aseansec.org/18101.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[80]&<http://www.aseansec.org/1895.htm

>&29&March&2006.
[81]&http://www.aseansec.org/16470.htm&29&March&2006.
[82]&<http://www.trafWic.org/news/ASEAN.html>&29&March&2006.
[83]&<http://www.aseansec.org/17933.htm>&29&March&2006.
[84]&Mud&wipes&out&Philippines&Village,&reported&BBC&News:&AsiaVPaciWic&17&February&2006

<http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/philippines.landslide/index.html>&28&May&2007.
[85])Framework)for)ASEAN)Regional)Criteria)and)Indicators)for)Sustainable)Management)of)Natural)Tropical)Forests
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<http://www.aseansec.org/630.htm>&29&March&2006;&http://www.aseansec.org/agr_pub/forest1.doc>&27&May
2007.
[86]&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks)and)Reserves&(Bangkok,&1984)&above&n&66.
[87]&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks,&above&n&69.
[88]&Apichai&Sunchindah,&ASEAN&Initiatives&in&Protected&Areas&Management&(paper&presented&at&the&Second

Regional&Forum&for&Southeast&Asia&of&the&IUCN&WCPA,&Pakse,&Laos,&6V11&December&1999);&KhengVLian&Koh,&Land
Stewardship&and&the&Law:&ASEAN&Heritage&Parks&and&Transboundary&Biodiversity&Conservation&in&Chalifour,
Nolon,&Lye&and&KameriVMbote&(eds),&Land)Use)for)Sustainable)Development&(in&press);&see&also&KhengVLian&Koh,
Landscape/Seascape&Protection&in&ASEAN:&Challenges&and&Opportunities&in&Antonio&H&Benjamin&(ed),&Landscape,
Nature)and)Law&(2005)&103.
[89]&Above&n&66.
[90]&KhengVLian&Koh,&ASEAN&Agreement&on&the&Conservation&of&Nature&and&Natural&Resources,&1985:&A&Study&in

Environmental&Governance&(paper&presented&at&the&Vth&IUCN&World&Parks&Congress&on&Protected&Areas,&Durban,
8V17&September&2003)&<http://law.nus.edu.sg/apcel/&publications/pub/kohkhenglian/ASEANPaper.pdf>&27&May
2007.
[91]&KhengVLian&Koh,&Conventions&and&their&Implications&on&the&ASEAN&States&(paper&presented&at&the

Environmental&Management&Seminar&for&Southeast&Asia,&Cavite,&Philippines,&6V17&October&1997).
[92])Above&n&8.

[93]&ASEAN)Strategic)Plan)of)Action)on)the)Environment)1994N1998,&<http://www.aseansec.org/8950.htm>&29

March&2006.&The&above&quotation&is&not&found&on&the&above&website&which&only&gives&a&summary.&However,&the
writer&has&a&copy&of&the&original&version&which&includes&this&paragraph&under&Strategy&5.1;&KhengVLian&Koh
(compiler),&Selected)ASEAN)Documents)on)the)Environment)(APCEL&Document&Series)&1996,&207.
[94]&Hanoi)Plan)of)Action)1999N2004,&above&n&61.
[95]&ASEAN)Declaration)on)Heritage)Parks&(Yangon,&Myanmar,&18&December&2003)&above&n&69.
[96]&Above&n&36;<http://www.biodiv.org/convention/articles.asp>&29&March&2006.
[97]&<http://www.biodiv.org/meetings/copV07/default.asp>&29&March&2006.
[98]&Convention)on)Wetlands)of)International)Importance)especially)as)Waterfowl)Habitat&(Ramsar)&opened&for

signature&2&February&1971,&1971&UNTS&14583&(entered&into&force&21&December&1975).
[99]&Above&n&8.
[100]&<http://www.aseansec.org/6185.htm>&29&March&2006.

[101]&World&Commission&on&Environment&and&Development,&Our)Common)Future&(1987)&(the&Brundtland&Report).
[102]&Above&n&39.
[103]&ASEAN)Statement)on)CITES&(Bangkok,&11&October&2004)&<http://www.aseansec.org/&16470.htm>&at&28&May

2007.

[104]&Jolene&Lin,&Tackling&Southeast&Asias&Illegal&Wildlife&Trade&(2005)&9&Singapore)Year)Book)of)International)Law

191.

[105]!Endangered)Species)(Import)and)Export))Act)2006&(Singapore)&<htt7p://agcvldb4.agc.gov.sg>!28&May&2007.
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[106]&See&KhengVLian&Koh,&One&WorldVOne&Health,&Avian&Flu&&&SARS:&The&Policy&and&Legal&Challenges&of&Zoonotic

Diseases.&<http://www.sde.nus.edu.sg/MEM/seminars/One%20&World%20One%20Health%20s%27pore.ppt>
(paper&presented&at&a&Workshop&on&The&Threat&of&Emerging&Diseases&to&Human&Security&and&Conservation,&and&the
Implications&for&Public&Policy,&Bangkok,&Thailand,&15&November&2004)&(see&<http://www.iucnVvsg.org>;&For&an
updated&version&of&this&paper&in&PowerPoint,&see&<http://www.sde.nus.edu.sg/MEM/seminars/
One%20World%20One%20Health%20s%27pore.ppt>.&Avian&Wlu&early&warning&system&given&green&light
<http://www.cicVwildlife.org/index.php?id=185>;&Convention)on)Migratory)Species,&Resolution&8.27
[CMS_COP8[1].pdf];&Ramsar&Convention,&Resolution&IX.23&&Highly&pathogenic&avian&inWluenza&and&its
consequences&for&wetland&and&waterbird&conservation&and&wise&use
<http://www.ramsar.org/res/key_res_ix_23_e.htm
>;Convention&on&Migratory&Species&&Migratory&Species&and&Highly&Pathogenic&Avian&InWluenza&
<http://www.cms.int/bodies.COP/cop8/documents/proceedings/pdf/eng/CPRes_8_27_Avian_InWluenza_eng_rev_pdf>
at&3&February&2006.
[107]&Above&n&63.
[108]&Above&n&63,&Annex&3:&1.7.13.
[109]&Migratory&Birds&to&Blame?&see&The)Straits)Times&(Singapore),&29&January&2004.
[110]&Rodolfo&C&Severino,&(Speech&delivered&at&the&joint&conference&of&INSEAD&and&the&AsiaVEurope&Foundation&on

Regional&Integration&in&Europe&and&Asia:&Pasts,&Presents&and&Futures,&Singapore,&7V8&July&2003);&See&also&Rodolfo&C
Severino,&The&ASEAN&Way&and&The&Rule&of&Law&(Speech&delivered&at&the&International&Law&Conference&on&ASEAN
Legal&Systems&and&regional&Integration,&Kuala&Lumpur,&3&September&2001)&<http://www.aseansec.org/2849.htm
>&28&May&2007.
[111]&Above&n&80.
[112]&WT/DS58/AB/R,&Decision&of&the&WTO&Appellate&Body,&adopted&6&November&1998.&This&case&deals&with

Article&XX&of&the&GATT&1994,&para&g.&The&Appellants&included&two&ASEAN&countries,&namely,&Malaysia&and&Thailand.
[113]&Ibid&185.
[114]&The)Straits)Times&(Singapore),&9&February&2005.
[115]&Lyrics&by&the&Malaysian&Foreign&Minister,&Dato&Seri&Syed&Hamid&Albar,&presented&at&the&13th&NonVAligned

Movement&Summit,&Kuala&Lumpur,&20V25&February&2003;&also&presented&at&the&39th&ASEAN&Ministerial&Meeting,
22V28&July&2006,&Kuala&Lumpur,&<http://web5.bernama.com/events/amm/?type=ts>&28&May&2007.
AustLII:!Copyright&Policy&|&Disclaimers&|&Privacy&Policy&|&Feedback
URL:&http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/MqJlICEnvLaw/2007/3.html

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