Background

Like other regions, Asia faces an urgent need to tackle mounting challenges of exacerbating pollution and natural resource depletion prompted by continuing economic development and growing consumption. To pursue sustainability in Asia, it is vital to take measures for promoting sustainable consumption and 3Rs in order to establish a sound material cycle society.

Multi-stakeholder involvement and cooperation are indispensable in our collective endeavours to establish a sound material cycle society. Civil society needs to play a vital role in this context involving local communities, governments, schools and universities and other stakeholder groups. The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005 – 2014) spells out key principles for addressing sustainability in education. In pursuance with the UN General Assembly resolutions on DESD and related documents, many countries started preparing and implementing the action plans on ESD. It has been recognized as one of the priority works to incorporate and mainstream sustainability values in higher education and to expand partnership with civil society, private sector and NGOs.

ESD and 3Rs must be promoted not at the national level, but at the regional and global level. The Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED), established in 2001 as a regional group of eminent experts on environmental management and sustainable development, have been undertaking various activities that include multi-stakeholder policy dialogues on key issues related to sustainability in the region. At the proposed symposium that will be conducted as a part of the APFED policy dialogues, it is expected that a wide range of policy makers, experts and stakeholders candidly exchange views and experiences with a view to facilitate policies, measures and actions effective to pursue sustainable development through ESD and 3Rs. Issues to be addressed at the symposium range from design for the environment and sustainable production and consumption to environmentally sound resource and energy use. To mobilize public support and expertise, EDS must play a greater role in such processes toward establishing a sound material cycle society and pursuing sustainability of the region and the world.

 

 

 

[Notes]
	1.		APFED: Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED), a regional group of 26 experts operating since its establishment in 2001
	2.		Free admission
	3.		Simultaneous interpretation (English/Japanese)
	4.		To apply for admission as observers, please go to the online application form at http://www.iges.or.jp/jp/news/event/080317apfed/index.html or, e-mail at shimozato@iges.or.jp with your information (1) full name, (2) affiliation and title, (3) contacts
	5.		Maximum 100 guests (tentative)
	6.		Contact: Ms. Shimozato (Tel.: 046-855-3836 / E-mail: shimozato@iges.or.jp) Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Capacity Development and Education Project
	7.		Please consider any changes according to programme operation

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