OVERVIEW
The first roundtable discussion of the Asia-Europe Environment Forum series involved 41 participants from the academe, local authorities, research, private sector, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) representing indigenous people, women, workers, and climate change watchers in Asia and Europe. Also in attendance were participants from government environment agencies and multilateral institutions such as the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the European environment agency.
The participants worked out a key message: Asia-Europe co-operation on sustainable development can and must advance within the framework of genuine partnerships among all the stakeholders from civil society, including private sector and local sector civil society, and governments. Genuine partnership is the foundation on which continued dialogue on such issues as climate change, desertification, biodiversity, and other items on the agenda for Asia-Europe partnership can advance.
The outcome of the roundtable was presented by the ASEF Director for Intellectual Exchange Bertrand Fort at the Senior Official Meeting of the ASEM Environment Ministerial held in October 2003.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
