Laos promotes efforts to protect sustainable forests in ASEAN

From August 4-8, in Luang Prabang province, northern Laos, activities took place within the framework of the 28th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Forestry to prepare for the 46th ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Meeting. The above series of activities were attended by delegations of senior forestry officials from ASEAN member countries, representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and development partners.

Dr. Somvang Phimmavong, Director General of the Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Laos, Head of the Lao Senior Officials’ Delegation on Forestry, affirmed that as Chair of the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Council on Forestry, Laos is committed to strengthening efforts to protect forests and respond to climate change, emphasizing nature-based solutions, a stronger role for communities and deeper regional cooperation within the ASEAN framework. Accordingly, Laos will promote efforts to restore forest landscapes, increase participation in carbon markets and promote participatory forest management.

Accelerating sustainable forest management will be a top priority, with strong promotion of community-based solutions, better monitoring and more inclusive decision-making, said Dr. Somvang Phimmavong.

At the same time, Laos also prioritizes the fight against forestry crimes, continuing to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam to address illegal wildlife trafficking and cross-border logging.

The head of the Lao delegation of senior officials on ASEAN forestry stressed the need for “on-the-ground cooperation” between police, customs and the judiciary to address these growing threats. Another important priority is to increase income for forest-dependent communities by promoting the cultivation of sustainable products such as bamboo, medicinal plants, etc.

Delegates attending the Conference adopted a number of important documents to guide the region’s actions in the coming years, including: the Implementation Handbook on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade in ASEAN, guidelines and toolkits for applying nature-based solutions in the forestry sector, and the action plan for sustainable ecosystem management.

The conference also called for closer cooperation with partners, including the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization, UN-REDD and the European Forest Institute to attract the necessary technical expertise and financial resources to support ASEAN's forestry goals.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/lao-thuc-day-no-luc-bao-ve-rung-ben-vung-trong-asean-post899840.html