ASEAN urged to tighten environmental laws

ASEAN urged to tighten environmental laws

SINGAPORE (AFP): Less developed ASEAN countries were urged on Friday to strengthen their environmental laws to prevent the dumping of hazardous waste in the region or its transfer across borders.

The call was made at the end of a two-day meeting here of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) special committee on hazardous wastes.

"If we do not do anything to contain the import, export and transit of hazardous waste, we will definitely run into problems at one point or another," said Singapore parliamentarian Heng Chiang Meng, who chaired the meeting.

A statement issued after the meeting said the delegates deliberated on "legislation and enforcement programs for the regulation and control of the dumping of hazardous wastes and illegal trans-boundary movements."

Countries with lax legislation were urged by the committee to strengthen their laws, so that "they would not be subject to the migration of less desirable industries into their country," said Singapore delegate Kenneth Chen.

Because of the disparity in the economic development of ASEAN states, concern was expressed by some members that hazardous waste could be moved to countries with less stringent legislation, delegates said.

The committee also proposed setting up a regional center to control and monitor the import, export and transit of hazardous wastes and to ensure that laws are followed.

The proposed center would have information on the movement of hazardous waste traveling through the region to help member countries monitor and control dumping.

"The boundaries as far as the people involved in transporting hazardous waste, whether legally or illegally, are actually quite transparent -- it really is a regional issue," said Heng.

"Having a central mechanism will be very useful to all nations."

The resolutions adopted by the committee would be tabled at the 21st AIPO general assembly, to be held in Singapore this September.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

A report of the committee's findings would be sent to Myanmar -- which did not send a delegation to the meeting -- officials said.