Asean pushes for faster operationalisation of haze control hub

Asean foreign ministers are pushing to accelerate the creation of a regional hub for addressing transboundary haze pollution, reported the Philippine News Agency (PNA). This push came during the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Pasay City, where the issue gained prominence due to recent severe haze affecting multiple Southeast Asian countries. The haze was primarily caused by devastating forest fires in Indonesia, resulting in thick smog that reached the Philippines and led to school cancellations.

During the meeting, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro informed that Indonesia was taking proactive steps to tackle the haze issue. She mentioned that Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia had all expressed positive responses to Indonesia's actions. Lazaro stated, "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 elaborated that discussions centered on both national actions against land and forest fires and regional cooperation specifically aimed at mitigating transboundary haze pollution.

The Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, established in 2002, mandates the bloc to construct the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) to manage the impacts of such pollution.