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Recent Program UpdatesVietnamese Officials Train to Streamline International TradeTuesday, April 28, 2009 More than 60 Vietnamese government officials participated in a USAID-sponsored workshop that will help the country implement a National Single Window—a clearance system that enables a single submission of customs data and a single point of decision-making among the parties involved in customs clearance. USAID partnered with the Association for Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Single Window initiative and the General Department of Vietnam Customs to present the workshop.Earth Day Comes to TibetTuesday, April 28, 2009 The herding people of the Ganzi Prefecture region of China’s Sichuan Province are learning to think of themselves as long term stewards of their own natural resources. As part of a USAID-funded project, over 400 students from Tagong village and several villagers from Xiede planted trees that will provide erosion control and eventually, habitat for wildlife and native plants.U.S. and Chinese Officials Explore Ways to Combat Air PollutionTuesday, April 28, 2009 Visiting experts form the California Air Resources Board met with power plant operators and the local environmental protection bureau in Anhui province to discuss ways to lower emissions from coal-fired power plants. The training program was organized by USAID's ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program (CDCP) and was attended by over 50 participants from the Huainan region, a provincial center for coal mining and power generation.Thai and Washington-State Officials Cooperate to Improved Wastewater ManagementTuesday, April 28, 2009 Three senior managers from the Wastewater Management Authority of Thailand (WMA) visited counterparts in King County, Washington State, to learn best practices in water treatment facility management through hands-on training. Based on the success of USAID-facilitated twinning, both parties discussed a plan to leverage their own resources to transform their relationship into a long-term partnership.Workshop Builds Commitment for ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN)Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Representatives from 21 countries adopted a “Manifesto on Combating Wildlife Crime in Asia” that includes pledges to: 1) increase support for the USAID and DOS-supported ASEAN-WEN; 2) develop a South Asia WEN; and 3) engage consumer partner countries, including China, more effectively. The manifesto was also ratified by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations at a USAID-supported workshop in Thailand.Chinese and American Law Scholars’ Article in Harvard Environmental Law ReviewTuesday, April 21, 2009 Law scholars Timothy Riley and Cai Huiyan’s article on using China’s information disclosure laws to enhance public participation in corporate environmental decision making was published in the Harvard Environmental Law Review. Chinese law students and faculty are exchanging ideas and expertise with U.S. counterparts as part of the USAID-supported Vermont Law School-Sun Yat-sen University Partnership for Environmental Law in China.Young People Study Tibetan Arts to Earn Income and Preserve TraditionTuesday, April 21, 2009 The USAID-funded Sustaining Tibetan Communities project is training 20 young people in the eastern Minyak region to create and paint traditional Tibetan clay statues and architectural features. After completing the course, their services will be available for hire, providing a source of income for the trainees as well as continuing a centuries-old tradition celebrating Tibetan beliefs.Sustainable Timber Project in Indonesia Earns CertificationTuesday, April 21, 2009 USAID’s Responsible Asia Forestry Trade (RAFT) program obtained certificates of Verified Legal Origin (VLO) from the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program for two forests and a factory in Indonesia. The project assures that the products promote legal and sustainable forest management and demonstrates the feasibility of expanded trade in sustainable forest products between Indonesia and the U.S.Tibetan Cooperative Teaches Traditional Crafts and Up-to-Date Business TechniquesTuesday, April 07, 2009 The Xiamalong Village Artisans Cooperative arranged for 25 students to be trained in rug-making and leather craft, as well as business and marketing techniques, after identifying traditional products in need of manufacturing and marketing support. This USAID-supported training is expected to help the association become self-sustaining.USAID Report and Website Spread the Word on Quality CFLsTuesday, April 07, 2009 USAID issued a report highlighting challenges and outlining the way forward for the manufacture of high-quality, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). At the same time, the USAID-supported Asia CFL Quality Charter launched a website detailing its activities and providing links to assist in reaching the Charter’s goal to develop an industry-driven system for qualifying and marking high-quality CFLs.Pakistan and Ho Chi Minh City Join AECENTuesday, April 07, 2009 The Pakistan Ministry of Environment and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment joined the USAID-supported Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN). AECEN promotes improved compliance with environmental legal requirements in Asia through regional exchange of innovative policies and practices.China University Offers New Class in Trial AdvocacyWednesday, April 01, 2009 The China University of Political Science and Law, in partnership with USAID and the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, started a new class in trial advocacy for 48 graduate students. As part of the course, students will participate in moot trials to put their learning into practice.Animal Planet Raises Awareness of Wildlife TraffickingWednesday, April 01, 2009 The USAID- and U.S. Department of State-supported ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) has collaborated with the Animal Planet network to update its popular “Crime Scene Wild” anti-animal-trafficking series that was launched in 2007. The updated version will air in April on the Discovery Channel in the UK and afterwards in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.USAID Facilitates Thai-Australian Judicial Partnership on the EnvironmentWednesday, April 01, 2009 Eight justices of the Supreme Court of Thailand visited the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales to launch a partnership between the courts and share regional expertise on environmental cases. The partnership, facilitated by USAID’s Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia), will help strengthen judicial skills and identify strategies to establish an environmental court in Thailand.Farmers' Workshop Aims to Prevent Avian Influenza in ThailandWednesday, April 01, 2009 USAID and its partners presented a workshop to farmers in Pitsanulok province, Thailand, sharing information on safe poultry-raising practices as well as the prevention and control of avian influenza. The workshop, under USAID’s Global Development Alliance program, also promoted the use of a bird flu cell phone service that allows farmers to report suspected cases as well as receive public service messages.ASEAN Trade Program Holds Workshop in Jakarta to Reduce Red TapeWednesday, April 01, 2009 The USAID-funded ASEAN Single Window program sponsored a data harmonization workshop to simplify customs processes in Southeast Asia. The Single Window program aims to reduce the cost of international trade by enabling the speedy, centralized submission, processing and clearance of shipping data.Malaysian Water Utilities Help India and Indonesia to Improve Water ServicesWednesday, March 25, 2009 As part of the USAID-supported WaterLinks program, experts from Ranhill Utilities Berhad of Malaysia trained colleagues in Surabay, Indonesia, and Maharashtra State, India, on water pressure improvement and leak detection. Indah Water Konsortium of Malaysia trained counterparts from Medan, Indonesia, on improved access to its sewer network and increasing consumer demand through a campaign to promote sanitation practices.Guangdong Environmental Partnership Launches Activities in ChinaWednesday, March 25, 2009 Guangdong Environmental Partnership launched new activities including a workshop for three pilot communities to promote energy efficiency and emissions reductions and the first session of the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Academy that will provide professional training to EHS factory managers in Guangdong province. In a separate meeting, the U.S. EPA agreed to collaborate with USAID to strengthen the center that oversees environmental policy and regulation in six southern Chinese provinces including Guangdong.Avian Influenza Program in China Trains for Better Virus DetectionWednesday, March 25, 2009 USAID funding, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) trained Chinese provincial officials in avian influenza surveillance in the high-risk, southern provinces of Hunan, Guangxi and Yunnan. Training included both theoretical and practical techniques to better detect the virus.Collaborating with Asian Countries to Combat AIDSWednesday, March 18, 2009 As part of an effort to address the significant upward trend in HIV among men having sex with men in cities across the Asia-Pacific, members of USAID’s health team collaborated with governments and other stakeholders to formulate a coordinated research agenda at the Johns Hopkins Fogarty AITRP Regional Meeting in Chiang Mai. USAID, PEPFAR and UNAIDS also hosted the Second Global HIV Surveillance Meeting in Bangkok where 300 delegates discussed advances in HIV surveillance.Fighting Dengue in AsiaWednesday, March 18, 2009 Outbreaks of dengue fever have risen dramatically in the Asia-Pacific region, killing three times more victims in 2008 than in recent years. WHO reports 3,255 people died of the disease last year in Southeast Asia. Cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever – in which uncontrollable bleeding occurs – have increased by more than 70 per cent since 2003. The World Health Organization (WHO), with support from USAID's Regional Development Mission for Asia, has developed an Asia-Pacific Dengue Strategic Plan to control the virus. Countries are now using this strategy to overcome a lack of political commitment, poor coordination and inadequate resources to improve dengue control.USAID Creates Model to Address AIDS in ChinaWednesday, March 18, 2009 USAID recently completed a survey of its HIV/AIDS program in China including its targeting and coverage of most-at-risk-populations in geographic HIV hotspots, the cost of services, and the potential for replication. A set of recommendations that can be used by the Chinese government, the USG, and other donors for potential scale-up of the model will be completed in April.Supporting Environmental Cooperation in the Mekong River BasinWednesday, March 18, 2009 Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, members of the USAID-supported Mekong River Commission (MRC), agreed to develop and test a collaborative decision-making process to protect the endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin and promote eco-tourism. If successful, the process will be applied to other Mekong River Basin transboundary issues. USAID works through the MRC to promote cooperative use of the region’s resources.Testing Bamboo Cultivation to Help the Rural PoorWednesday, March 18, 2009 USAID is helping to establish a 100-acre bamboo plantation in Vietnam’s Lam Dong Province to improve livelihoods and biodiversity management. If the project is successful, the project may be expanded to 49,500 acres. The USAID-funded Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP) is working with local furniture maker Grass and Company to develop bamboo cultivation and raise the incomes of rural households."Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here" Campaign LaunchedThursday, March 12, 2009 USAID is supporting the training of 250 airport staff, government agents and freight forwarders to prevent wildlife trafficking at Bangkok’s international airport, a key transshipment point for endangered species. The “Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here” campaign is the first large-scale anti-poaching education program ever held at a major airport. Anti-trafficking messages are also being projected on TV monitors above every check-in counter and placards are being posted throughout the arrivals hall. USAID supports the effort through its funding and technical assistance to the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network which is organizing the training.Asia Forum for Clean Energy Financing Draws InvestorsThursday, March 12, 2009 Opportunities to finance clean energy projects drew more than 120 industry experts and investors to the Asia Forum for Clean Energy Financing. The USAID co-sponsored conference showcased viable business models and proposals from Southeast Asia, such as ways to convert waste into clean energy and improving techniques to purify water fouled with sewage.Asian Lighting Manufacturers Agree on Quality MarkThursday, March 12, 2009 Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) manufacturers meeting in Shanghai formed a trade association, the Asia Lighting Council, and agreed upon a symbol that will identify reliable, energy-saving bulbs. USAID’s ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program is supporting the development of quality standards to ensure better products and reduce greenhouse gasses.U.S. and Chinese Institutions Collaborate on Environmental LawThursday, March 12, 2009 Vermont Law School (VLS) and the Training Center of China’s Natural Development and Reform Commission will teach environmental law to Chinese government officials and employees of state-owned corporations. They will also develop a Master of Laws degree program for the staff of government agencies, business and non-profit social organizations. USAID supports VLS’ collaboration with Chinese institutions to improve environmental and energy law and policy in China.Thai Environmental Dispute Center a Model in RegionThursday, March 12, 2009 Thailand’s highly successful Environmental Dispute Prevention and Resolution Center, created with USAID support, shared its techniques for dispute resolution at an Asian Development Bank workshop. The center’s success is considered a model for other countries in the region. The seminar was held in conjunction with the USAID-funded Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network, which helps agencies share expertise and strengthen environmental governance in Asia.Wildlife Seizure Highlights Interagency CooperationWednesday, March 04, 2009 Thai Customs officers are collaborating with the USAID- and U.S. Department of State-supported ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) to stop wildlife trafficking. After confiscating 200 pangolins (scaly anteaters) smuggled to Bangkok from southern Thailand, customs officials worked with ASEAN-WEN to quickly pass information obtained from suspects to Thai Police. Thailand’s Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation took responsibility for the pangolins following the bust.ASEAN Members Cooperate to Streamline CustomsWednesday, March 04, 2009 Laos and Brunei Darussalam plan to adopt the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) Certificate of Origin, which will help link their customs operations with other countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. USAID is spearheading the program, meant to streamline the region’s customs process by enabling the speedy, centralized submission, processing and clearance of shipping data. Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand also plan to draw on the ASW program to harmonize their customs operations with other ASEAN members.USAID Helps Fight Counterfeit Medicines Across AsiaWednesday, March 04, 2009 USAID is working to fight counterfeit anti-malarial medicines in Southeast Asia through public service announcements in Khmer, Lao, Thai and Vietnamese. In addition to the USAID-funded PSAs, entitled “Pharmacide,” there is a website with different versions of the PSA in English. Poor quality medicines are less effective and encourage the development of drug-resistant strains of malaria and other diseases.Improving Power Stations to Reduce Global WarmingWednesday, March 04, 2009 USAID’s ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program proposed renovations for five units of India’s NTPC (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation) Singrauli coal-fired power station to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that are contributing to global warming. ECO-Asia’s plant-efficiency measures will incorporate carbon financing mechanisms into the US$400 million project and reduce CO2 emissions 12-15 percent, or about 1 million metric tons annually. The work is supported by the U.S. Department of State under the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP).Cooperating with China to Improve Public HealthWednesday, March 04, 2009 USAID, through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, is working with Chinese authorities in Beijing in numerous areas including food safety, infectious disease detection, infection control services, and reporting systems for outbreaks of disease. Building on the successful USAID Global Development Alliance model, the CDC is poised to encourage public-private partnerships with companies that do business in food safety, laboratory supplies, and the use of information technology to facilitate electronic data collection, transmission and processing.Asian Countries Work Together to Enforce Environmental LawsWednesday, March 04, 2009 Malaysia’s Department of Environment (DOE) has joined the USAID-supported Asia Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN), a regional organization that promotes collaborative enforcement of environmental laws. Membership will improve environmental governance within Malaysia and enrich member-to-member collaboration within AECEN. Member agencies are from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.Tibetan Artisans Share Craft, Preserve TraditionWednesday, March 04, 2009 USAID is expanding programs to help Tibetan artisans bring traditional products to the global market. The Xiamalong Handicraft Cooperative, established in early 2008 with the help of USAID, is launching a new USAID-backed program that trains leather and felt artisans in market analysis and development. The program will create job opportunities for herders in the off season and help them generate much-needed cash in the largely subsistence-based economy. The cooperative, meanwhile, is building direct links between producers and markets, developing marketing skills, and increasing market exposure for local enterprises focusing on handicrafts and ecotourism.Thailand's Airports Launch Campaign to Stop Wildlife TraffickingTuesday, February 24, 2009 The Airports of Thailand (AOT) authority has joined the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) in a campaign to prevent wildlife trafficking and prosecute traffickers. ASEAN-WEN, which is supported by USAID and the U.S. State Department, launched the public awareness campaign at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, which serves more than 30 million passengers annually. The campaign features illuminated posters and screens throughout the airport, particularly at immigration gates and check-in booths in the departure hall. ASEAN-WEN is also training AOT staff to identify illegal wildlife and enforce national and international wildlife trade laws.Journalists Focus on ASEANTuesday, February 24, 2009 Journalists from The Jakarta Post, The Bangkok Post and The Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote about ASEAN-US relations, ASEAN and human rights and ASEAN’s regional crisis fund after participating in the USAID-supported Southeast Asia Journalism Program. The program educates the media about the role of ASEAN in regional development and world politics. Ten journalists from ASEAN member states and the U.S. met with government, business and civic leaders, as well as USAID workers and development contractors, in Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore during the 12-day program. U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Scot Marciel told the journalists in a teleconference that the Obama administration is placing renewed emphasis on Southeast Asia.Focusing on Health and Economic Growth in LaosThursday, February 19, 2009 The U.S. Ambassador to Laos, Ravic Huso, expressed interest in USAID expanding its programs in health, governance and education in Laos during a briefing with USAID/RDMA Mission Director Olivier Carduner in Vientiane earlier this month. Ambassador Huso later launched a USAID-organized conference for the Lao National Assembly to help parliamentarians learn from the experiences of Cambodia and Vietnam in joining the World Trade Organization and implementing U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement commitments. USAID is assisting Laos improve its avian influenza prevention and response measures. It is working with most-at-risk populations to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). In the southern Laotian towns of Pakse, Salavan and Savannakhet, Carduner and his team conferred with health experts at provincial and district hospitals and reviewed USAID-funded AI, HIV/AIDS and education projects for the handicapped.Journalists Explore the Role of ASEANThursday, February 19, 2009 U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Scot Marciel told journalists that the Obama administration is placing renewed emphasis on Southeast Asia. Marciel made the comments about Southeast Asia’s strategic importance in a teleconference to ASEAN and U.S. journalists who were part of a USAID-supported Southeast Asia Journalism Program to educate the media about the role of ASEAN in regional development and world politics. The 10 journalists, including representatives from the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, also attended sessions in Bangkok detailing three successful USAID-funded projects: the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign, the Clean Energy and Climate Change program, and the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), which is fighting illegal trafficking in flora and fauna.USAID Helps Share Regional Environmental ExpertiseThursday, February 19, 2009 Indonesia environmental inspectors will observe their counterparts in Singapore and then apply their approaches to improve enforcement at home. The partnership was arranged through the USAID-funded Asian Environmental Compliance Enforcement Network (AECEN), which helps Asian countries share innovative practices to protect the environment.International Water Experts Share Strategies in BeijingThursday, February 19, 2009 Experts from U.S. and the Philippines are working with the Chinese to increase public participation in water management in China. The partners from the USAID-supported WaterLinks network shared strategies at a national workshop in Beijing. Representatives from Los Angeles and Manila shared approaches to encourage public involvement to improve water management and water quality. Engaging the public can lead to a better understanding of people’s water service needs and a more transparent planning process.Wildlife Enforcement Training Draws Interest from IndiaThursday, February 19, 2009 The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network training program launched a Thai-Lao Forest Ranger Training Course to protect forest reserves from poaching, illegal logging and other threats. Six observers from India joined the ASEAN-WEN program with plans to collaborate on future illegal wildlife trade and poaching issues. ASEAN-WEN, which is supported by USAID and the U.S. Department of State, also completed a month-long on-the-job training course for the 12-member Cambodian Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team.Secretary of State Voices U.S. Support for ASEANWednesday, February 18, 2009 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is committed to continuing and increasing the tools of “’soft power,’ including development and diplomacy” in Southeast Asia. Clinton said U.S. support for ASEAN is demonstrated through USAID’s Technical Assistance and Training Facility (TATF), which is embedded in the ASEAN Secretariat. The TATF is part of USAID’s ADVANCE program, which supports the ASEAN Secretariat as well as the Greater Mekong Sub-region and a bilateral project assisting Laos’ accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Clinton made the comments after meeting with ASEAN’s Secretary General, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. She said the U.S. is working on its Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN that would draw it closer to the 10-nation organization.Laos Learns from Others in Region on Joining the WTOTuesday, February 10, 2009 U.S. Ambassador to Laos Ravic Huso opened a two-day, USAID-sponsored workshop for the Lao National Assembly and Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce to help officials learn from Cambodia and Vietnam about their experiences joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and implementing Lao-U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) commitments. USAID/RDMA Mission Director Olivier Carduner attended the workshop in Vientiane. The US and Laos also launched the second phase of a USAID project to help Laos meet the requirements to join the WTO, comply with BTA obligations, and help Lao fulfill its commitments to the ASEAN Economic Community. The first phase was launched in 2008.U.S. and Chinese Law Professors Share Teaching TechniquesTuesday, February 10, 2009 USAID brought 50 Chinese and U.S. law professors together in Beijing to share educational techniques to build students’ advocacy skills. The USAID Conference on Experiential Learning in Law at China University of Political Science and Law focused on courtroom and legal clinic simulations to sharpen students’ advocacy skills. The seminar was run by the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.Thailand Uses New Interview Techniques to Curb Wildlife TraffickingTuesday, February 10, 2009 A suspected trafficker admitted to repeatedly breaking wildlife smuggling laws when Thai police and customs agents used interview techniques learned at a USAID- and U.S. Department of State-sponsored training program. The officers were participating in an ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) on-the-job training course, led by current and retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agents, to gather information on wildlife crimes. ASEAN-WEN assists training and cross-border collaboration to curb wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia.Coral Triangle Countries Agree on RoadmapTuesday, February 10, 2009 Southeast Asian and Pacific countries reaffirmed their commitment to the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), a USAID- and U.S. Department of State-supported program effort to save the world’s largest expanse of mangroves and coral reefs and their diverse sea-life, currently under threat from pollution, unsustainable fishing practices and climate change. Officials from Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste, meeting in the Philippines, agreed on a CTI Roadmap that includes national plans of action. To create a solid, centralized presence, the CTI Coordination Committee recommended establishing a permanent CTI Secretariat within two years. | |||
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