The 3rd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference      PDF  | Print |  Email

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The 3rd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference will be held in Brunei Darussalam from 23 to 25 June 2010 back-to-back with the 2nd ASEAN Heritage Parks Committee Meeting on 22 June 2010. The Conference will be attended by superintendent/managers of ASEAN Heritage Parks, members of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Committee, and selected experts and officials/staff of national agencies involved in protected area management.

 

Objectives

The 3rd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference seeks to develop and promote effective management of the ASEAN Heritage Parks and determine common areas of cooperation.

Specifically, it aims to:

  • Further enhance the regional action plan and strategies for ASEAN Heritage Sites;
  • Identify, discuss and prioritize activities such as capacity development and public awareness  activities  to enhance on-the-ground management of the ASEAN Heritage Parks;
  • Identify possible partners for the implementation of selected activities in the pilot areas;
  • Report the results of the 2nd ASEAN Heritage Parks Committee Meeting; and
  • Award funding to approved proposals on on-site activities in the ASEAN Heritage Parks.

 

Expected Outcomes

The 3rd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference hopes to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Report of the 2nd ASEAN Heritage Parks Committee Meeting which includes a compilation of lessons learned, best practices, and needs of  ASEAN Heritage Parks especially in the implementation of the Program of Work for Protected Areas (PoWPA)
  • Draft regional action plan for ASEAN Heritage Parks
  • Prioritized development  and capacity building needs of ASEAN Heritage Parks
  • Partners in the implementation of the activities in the ASEAN Heritage Parks
  • Approved proposals on ASEAN Heritage Parks for 2010 funding

 

The ASEAN Heritage Parks Conferences

The ASEAN Heritage Parks Conferences are venues where ASEAN Member States gather to promote cooperation in protected area management to meet national interests and global imperatives through concerted cooperation based on the ASEAN Heritage Parks.

The 1st ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference was held in 2004 at the Khao Yai National Park, an ASEAN Heritage Park in Thailand. The Conference emphasized the importance of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Program with the following components: a) capacity development; b) information sharing network; c) technical exchange; d) first in line for available international funding; e) promotion of tourism; f) participation in joint research programs; g) biannual conference of managers; h) management improvement; and i) reporting to the World Heritage Program and other global initiatives. The ASEAN Heritage Parks Program was developed to ensure that ASEAN Heritage Parks will benefit from available best practices and lessons learned on the management of protected areas.

The criteria for the selection of ASEAN Heritage Parks and the process of nomination were likewise discussed and each ASEAN Member State was encouraged to nominate their ASEAN Heritage Parks.

The 2nd ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, back-to-back with the 4th Regional Conference on Protected Areas in Southeast Asia in 2007. The Conference drafted the proposed Regional Action Plan for ASEAN Heritage Parks and Protected Areas. The following are the proposed key areas for action in the ASEAN region:

  • Establishment and strengthening of national and regional systems of PA management integrated into a global network as a contribution to globally agreed goals;
  • Establishment and strengthening of regional networks, thereby promoting equity and  benefit sharing and integrating PA into broader land and seascapes;
  • Promotion of improved site-based PA planning and management, and capacity building of PA staff through appropriate technology transfer;
  • Assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of effectiveness of PA management, development and adoption of minimum standards and best practices for national and regional PAs, and ensuring that scientific  knowledge contributes to the effectiveness of PA systems;
  • Enhancement of securing involvement of indigenous and local communities in PAs and strengthening communication, education and public awareness; and
  • Ensuring financial stability.