ASEAN Centre for Biovidersity

THE ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY
A Regional Response to the Need to Conserve Biodiversity

Biodiversity conservation is increasingly recognized by Southeast Asian governments as extremely important for human development. For this reason, national and local governments across the region have taken numerous individual steps to help preserve their biodiversity resources. There are, however, a number of issues that can be more effectively addressed through actions at the regional level.

In the mid-1990s, the need to establish an ASEAN institution to promote knowledge sharing about best practices and common efforts in the biodiversity sector had become apparent. It led to the first European Commission-funded project: the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC). This regional project started in 1999, with an EC grant of €9.5 million.

ARCBC successfully fostered a strong collaboration among ASEAN Member States and between ASEAN and EC partner institutions, and gained recognition in the regional and global arena for biodiversity.  All stakeholders agreed that there was a need to create not just a time-bound project, but a permanent institution, a regional centre of excellence to strengthen the capacity of ASEAN Member States to formulate and coordinate biodiversity-related policy, strategy and action; to fulfill relevant treaty obligations; and to promote and advance common positions on matters related to biodiversity conservation, and the management and sustainable use of natural resources.

Confirming its willingness to support the ASEAN in establishing this regional centre, the EC approved in 2004 a grant of €6.0 million to support the establishment and initial operation of a new institution: the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). The Financing Agreement with the ASEAN Secretariat was signed in April 2005, and the Establishment Agreement for the ACB was signed by the Environment Ministers shortly thereafter. The Centre was formally launched at the 9th Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on 27 September 2005.

Since its establishment, ACB has achieved a considerable deal, and has built up an increasing international reputation. Specific activities have included a number of actions in the field of policy coordination and capacity building, such as regional workshops on urban biodiversity, on climate change and biodiversity, on transboundary cooperation, the enforcement of bio-safety regulations, the preparation of biodiversity indicators, a gap analysis on marine protected areas, and many others. These activities have been conducted in different locations across the ASEAN.

The ACB has also established partnership arrangements with strategic international institutions like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), and the United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).

The ACB is hosted by the Government of the Philippines through the Host Country Agreement signed in 08 August 2006 between the Government of the Philippines and the ACB. As an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence, the ACB continues to facilitate: 1) cooperation and coordination among ASEAN Member States and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and 2) the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such biodiversity.

It responds to the needs of the AMSs in the areas of Access and Benefits Sharing, Agro-biodiversity and Biosafety, Biodiversity Information Management, Business and Biodiversity, Climate Change and Biodiversity, Ecotourism and Biodiversity Conservation, Global Taxonomic Initiative, Invasive Alien Species, Payment for Ecosystems Services, Peatland Management and Biodiversity, Protected Area Management, and Wildlife Enforcement.

The Centre became a full-fledged international organization after the Union of Myanmar ratified the ACB Establishment Agreement (EA) on 08 July 2009. Following in the footsteps of Brunei Darussalam, the Lao PDR, the Philippines, Singapore, and Viet N am -- Myanmar was the sixth ASEAN Member State to ratify the agreement.

The Philippines became the official host of the headquarters of the ACB after its Senate approved a resolution concurring with the ratification of the Host Country Agreement (HCA) signed between the ACB and the Government of the Philippines.  The ratification of the ACB EA and the Senate of the Philippines’ concurrence with the ratification of the HCA will contribute to the sustainability of the ACB’s operations as the ASEAN’s centre of excellence on biodiversity conservation.

With its new status, the ACB can further strengthen its efforts to implement key measures in reducing the loss of biodiversity, which is critical to sustainable food production, health, and livelihood.  Becoming a legitimate international organization will enable the Centre to mobilize more resources and forge more partnerships that will result in enhanced support to the ASEAN Member States in meeting their commitments to various multilateral environmental agreements and in reducing the rate of biodiversity loss.

As part of ASEAN’s commitment to strengthen biodiversity concerns, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint was developed.  It provides for the "enhancement of the role and capacity of the ACB to function as an effective regional centre of excellence in promoting biodiversity conservation and management".