ACC Held the Forum on the Establishment of ASEAN-China Mangrove Eco-corridor

On 27 September 2021, the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), co-organised with Global Climate Action Initiative (GCAI) and China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF) one of the NGO forums of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), “Nature-based Solution: the Establishment of ASEAN-China Mangrove Eco-corridor” in Kunming, China.

Mr. Xie Zhenhua, China’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Affairs and Co-chairman of GCAI, Ms. Rachel Herrera, Climate Change Commissioner of the Office of President of the Philippines, Mr. Thet Thet Zin, Former Deputy Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, and Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of ACC, delivered video speeches at the opening ceremony. Mr. Li Haiyan, Secretary General of GACI, presided over the forum, and about 400 participants from China and ASEAN Member States (AMS) such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines, including representatives of governments and NGOs, experts and scholars, attended the forum online and offline.

Mr. Xie Zhenhua said that China is working with all parties to propose the implementation of nature-based solutions and promote domestic actions and international cooperation related to climate change. Mangrove forest is one of the most important coastal wetland ecosystems and is conducive to the protection of biodiversity. It is the common challenge for China and AMS to coordinate economic development in coastal areas andmangrove conservation. It is important for both sides to actively strengthen dialogue and exchange, share experience to protect global mangrove and marine biodiversity, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and achieve sustainable regional development. ASEAN-China Mangrove Conservation Network, which is being actively organized by China and ASEAN civil society, deserves strong support. It is hoped that this forum could further exchange comprehensive solutions to address climate change, protect biodiversity based on mangrove ecosystems, and promote ASEAN-China cooperation as well as platform building.

Secretary-General Chen Dehai said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and the ASEAN-China Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation. In recent years, ASEAN and China have made unremitting efforts in ecological and environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, climate change control, poverty alleviation and reduction. Currently, both China and ASEAN are committed to people-oriented, integrated, coordinated and sustainable development, with a focus on realizing the balance among population, resources and environment and building a Partnership on Blue Economy. As a nature-based solution, mangrove ecological corridor construction can be a key point for the relevant cooperation process. ACC is willing to take advantage of this forum to strengthen the construction and protection of regional mangrove ecosystems and open a new stage for ASEAN-China sustainable development cooperation.

Ms. Wang Hongliu, Director of General Affairs Coordination Division of ACC, moderated a round table dialogue “Discussion on the status and conservation gap of ASEAN-China mangroves”. Representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines respectively introduced the current status of mangrove conservation, policy guidelines and development plans of their countries, and expressed the common willingness to deepen cooperation with each other.

Mr. Wang Yi, Vice President of the Institute of Science and Development of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mr. Chen Guangcheng, Researcher of Third Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources as well as a number of NGOs from China, AMS and overseas exchanged views on strengthening joint actions, giving full play to the role of NGOs and building ASEAN-China Mangrove Conservation Network through case sharing and dialogue. The forum also showed a short video of “Mangroves and I” Mangrove Drawing Competition of Children from AMS and China. In the end, the ASEAN-China Mangrove Conservation Initiative was launched at the forum.

The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity NGO Forum was held in Kunming from 27-28 September 2021. Mr. Huang Runqiu, Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Ms. Mrema, Executive Secretary of CBD Secretariat, Mr. Chen Zhou, Vice Minister of the Foreign Liaison. Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Mr. Xu Guang, Chairman of CEPF attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Representatives of ACC were invited to attend the event. In addition to the Mangrove Eco-corridor Forum, four thematic forums were held, including Environmental NGOs’ Role in Biodiversity Mainstreaming, 100+ Biodiversity Positive Protective Actions Around the World, Foundations Helping Biodiversity Conservation, and Independent Contribution from Non-State Actors and the Post-2020 Goal for Biodiversity Conservation.