Indonesia to seek ratification of ASEAN haze centre agreement
The Jakarta-based centre cannot begin operating until six ASEAN members submit ratification instruments; only Vietnam has done so.
Indonesia plans to put ratification of an agreement establishing a regional haze coordination centre on the agenda at the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The centre already has a secretariat in Jakarta but is not yet operational.
Ina Krisnamurthi, the ministry’s Director General of ASEAN Cooperation, said six ASEAN countries must submit instruments of ratification before the establishment agreement can take effect. Vietnam is the only member to have met that requirement so far, she told a media gathering.
Krisnamurthi said the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control could strengthen implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, which took effect in 2003. She added that Indonesia was also pressing for a monitoring system established in 2013.
Separately, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Arrmanatha Nasir and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan agreed on October 27 to form a Joint Task Force on Strengthening Business Responsibilities between Indonesia and Singapore. Indonesia sees the task force as a way to improve information exchange and mutual trust in tackling forest and land fires.
Nasir chaired a ministerial coordination meeting on November 3 as a follow-up to the task force’s formation. The meeting addressed a presidential directive on irresponsible business practices contributing to fires in Indonesia, with forestry and environment ministers and finance ministry representatives attending.
