By Joyce Ann Rocamora
MANILA – The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) want to speed up the operationalization of its coordination center on transboundary haze control.
The renewed call was made during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay City on Saturday amid growing concerns over severe haze pollution that recently affected several Southeast Asian countries.
Widespread forest fires in Indonesia have triggered severe haze, with thick smog drifting as far as the Philippines and prompting class cancellations in the second half of the year.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Indonesia, in the meeting, conveyed that it is acting on the issue and exerting its best to address the haze pollution.
Singapore and Malaysia, she added, were “very cordial” to the statement made by Indonesia.
“Singapore remarked positively, and Malaysia, the same thing. So, I think that there had been discussions, and perhaps the actions taken by Indonesia was really very sweeping and really helped what is happening,” she said.
Lazaro said discussions on haze covered ongoing national actions and regional cooperation specifically aimed at mitigating land and forest fires.
The regional bloc adopted the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2002 to prevent and monitor transboundary haze pollution caused by land or forest fires.
Under the deal, the bloc is mandated to put up the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) to manage the impact of said pollution. (PNA)
