1. The 22nd North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC) Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) took place in Beijing, the People's Republic of China, from October 25 till 26.

o The meeting was attended by about 30 people, including delegates from the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, the Russian Federation, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and other member states, as well as those from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and other international organizations.

※ The North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC) is the only comprehensive inter-governmental mechanism for environmental consultation in the region, which was launched in 1993 at the initiative of the ROK to promote cooperation on environmental issues in Northeast Asia (six member states: the ROK, China, Japan, Russia, Mongolia, and North Korea).

2. In the meeting, the member states agreed to officially launch the “North-East Asia Clean Air Partnership (NEACAP),” a joint cooperation mechanism to reduce air pollution in the region, including fine dust.

o NEACAP will serve as a platform to share a range of results of scientific research in existing air pollutants in the region, including fine dust, by creating networks between policy makers, and science and technology experts; to come up with technologies and policy measures; and to make them be reflected in the policy-making process.

o In addition, the Secretariat will establish the Science and Policy Committee, and the Technical Center, which will be in charge of the operation of NEACAP, as early as possible.

※ The NEASPEC Secretariat will also serve as the Secretariat for NEACAP. The Science and Policy Committee (SPC) will review activities by NEACAP, and work to strengthen the connection between science and policy (each member state will appoint two people on the Committee). The Technical Center will support NEACAP’s technology-related work.

3. Furthermore, the member states reviewed cooperation projects being conducted within NEASPEC, including nature conservation, networks of marine protected areas, low carbon cities, and the prevention of desertification and land degradation. They also actively explored measures to work together on environmental issues in the region, including ways to expand related cooperation.

※ NEASPEC is carrying out five cooperation projects: transboundary air pollution, nature conservation, marine protected areas, low carbon cities, and desertification and land degradation.

4. The ROK government will continue to make efforts to resolve environmental problems in the region, including fine dust, by actively participating in bilateral and multilateral mechanisms for environmental consultations in Northeast Asia, including NEASPEC.

* unofficial translation