The ASEAN-Japan Centre participated in the high-level 18th ASEAN-Japan Dialogue on Environmental Cooperation held in Vientiane, Lao PDR on July 31, 2024.
The high-level meeting is attended by senior environmental officials from the 10 ASEAN member states and Japan. It convenes government officials and partner organizations and provides the opportunity to present updates on environmental projects conducted by and between Japan and the ASEAN member states. Other partner organizations that presented in the session include the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and ERIA Regional Knowledge Center on Marine Plastic Debris, Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry Clean Ocean Material Alliance (JEMAI-CLOMA), among others.
The Centre, through Programme Manager Dr. Katrina Navallo participated online and presented updates on its flagship program, ASEAN-Japan Young Environmental Leaders Network (AJYELN), and presenting the 33 new fellows from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Japan. The Centre has been actively supporting the ASEAN Regional Framework and Action Plan on Combatting Marine Plastic Debris and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific through its environmental activities targeting the youth.
The AJYELN is a multi-year program which started in 2023 and competitively selects young students, aged 15-18 years old from the 10 AMS and Japan to receive mentoring, training, and a seed fund (amounting to maximum of 100,000JPY) to implement their own plastic pollution reduction solutions in their local communities. In 2024, the Network consists of 33 Fellows, while the 36 fellows from 2023 have now been officially recognized as AJYELN Alumni. The program was recently launched last July 26, where the 33 new Fellows introduced the projects that they will implement this year.
The program is actively supported by the ASEAN Secretariat, Japan Ministry of the Environment, Brunei STEP Centre, Cambodia Ministry of Environment, Lao PDR MONRE, Indonesia MOEF, Malaysia NRECC, DENR Philippines, ERIA Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, and ASEAN Youth Organization. For more information on the program, please refer to https://ajc-wp-preview.yucca-works.jp/en/project/ajyeln/ and follow its social network pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AJYELN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajyeln/
