DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – As a significant leap forward for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in global climate action, the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) finally accredited the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity an intergovernmental organisation observer status in the UNFCCC COP sessions. This is seen as a milestone for ASEAN as the ACB is now in a better position to strengthen its work in promoting synergy of actions in the region to optimise resources and efforts in addressing the interlinked crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.