CMS COP 14
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
12 February 2023
Statement of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
Agenda 10.4 IGOs and NGOs
1. Let me join the other delegates in expressing our gratitude to the gracious host,
the Government of Uzbekistan, for welcoming us to the historic city of Samarkand.
2. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, established in 1967,
initially focused on cooperation in various sectors to promote peace and stability in
the Region. Over the last 25 years, environmental concerns, particularly
biodiversity conservation, have also become increasingly prominent within
ASEAN’s agenda.
3. Indeed, we subscribe to this COP’s theme, “Nature knows no borders,” as ASEAN
acknowledges the interconnectedness of our wildlife resources across terrestrial
and marine ecosystems, emphasising the need for robust cross-sectoral and
transboundary cooperation.
4. The ASEAN region is at the heart of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF),
supporting the migration of approximately 50 million birds annually. For this reason,
the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity or the ACB, with Singapore as the lead ASEAN
Member State, established the ASEAN Flyway Network to strengthen the
contribution of Southeast Asian countries in conserving migratory waterbirds along
the EAAF as they pass through our sub-region, enhancing transboundary
cooperation and habitat management efforts.
5. Collaboration and dialogue within and among ASEAN are essential for advancing
conservation efforts and addressing environmental challenges. Currently, the ACB
is facilitating the development of our Regional Biodiversity Strategy and Action
Plan, or the “ASEAN Biodiversity Plan”. Through this biodiversity plan, the region
will be able to promote synergy among the multilateral environmental agreements
(MEAs), taking into account the priority areas of the ASEAN under the Global
Biodiversity Framework, as they relate to the targets of other MEAs, including the
relevant targets of the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2024–2032, anticipated
to be adopted in this COP.
6. We are pleased that these collaborative efforts are in line with this year’s ASEAN
Chairpersonship of Lao PDR with the theme “Enhancing Connectivity and
Resilience”. The ACB stands ready to advance the agenda of global and regional
cooperation in Southeast Asia, on the conservation of migratory species as put
forward by the parties and partners here in Samarkand at the CMS COP14.
