Overall objectives:            To intensify biodiversity conservation through improved co-operation in the ASEAN region, by setting up a network of institutional links among ASEAN countries and between ASEAN and EU organisations. This will be achieved by the establishment of a permanent ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, which will serve as a focal point for a regional network through the National Biodiversity Reference Units (NBRUs) in each ASEAN country.

Specific objectives:

• Promote the formation of a regional network of institutional intra-ASEAN and ASEAN/EU links in the biodiversity sector, which will focus on the importance of strengthened biodiversity conservation and management policies and strategies.  

• Foster collaborative partnerships between ASEAN and European universities and institutions in areas such as training, research, and information management.

• Identify the needs and assist in the training of the human resources to improve: (1) the management of biodiversity conservation in the ASEAN region and (2) the implementation of biodiversity conservation strategies. 

• Identify and help overcome the critical information gaps which impede effective management of ASEAN’s biodiversity. Support research projects in biodiversity conservation and facilitate institutional capabilities that link applied research to biodiversity conservation and related planning priorities.  

• Analyse, document, and disseminate information on biodiversity conservation.

• Establish and maintain a database which links institutions and agencies holding relevant information biodiversity conservation, to the ARCBC and NBRUs database networks, and possibly with the ASEAN web network.

• Assist biodiversity institutions in the analysis of biodiversity legislation and in the formulation of proposals for co-ordinating regional policies on biodiversity conservation, in line with international agreements.  

• Organise workshops, conferences, and seminars on regional biodiversity conservation, and assist in increasing awareness and participation among national decision makers and other relevant bodies and actors on regional biodiversity issues.  

• Assist in upgrading curricula on biodiversity conservation used in ASEAN universities and training institutions.

1.   Networking function and Institution Building:  To promote an intra-ASEAN and EU-ASEAN network of Biodiversity Institutions, linking scientific knowledge and facilitating information exchanges and synergy.  The intra-ASEAN network will be organized through connecting a series of focal points, the National Biodiversity Reference Units (NBRUs), which operate within existing national institutions in each ASEAN country, and which are coordinated by the ARCBC.  Exchange university professors and researchers between ASEAN institutions, while leading European experts in biodiversity conservation will be invited to ASEAN to facilitate the transfer of knowledge (Biodiversity Visiting Chairs).  The Center through the NBRUs will assist national authorities in developing an ASEAN agenda for policy analysis on strategies for transborder biodiversity conservation.

2.   Training:   A Training Needs Assessment will be carried out to identify the needs, elaborate training programmes, and assess the requirements for improving existing courses available in ASEAN institutions.

      The project will develop training packages and methods, and establish co-operative linkages with competent ASEAN training institutions.  Further, it will sponsor training for ASEAN operators, managers, administrators and policy-makers involved in biodiversity conservation and protected areas management.

      This component will cover three levels: 1)  Training courses carried out and/or facilitated by the center; 2)  Development of training models and packages to by the center and subsequently taken over by ASEAN institutions; 3)  Advice for upgrading of training courses to national authorities in order to improve the existing biodiversity curricula.

3.   Research:   This component will in particular consist of five different phases:

      1.    Assist national bodies in setting-up guidelines for the definition and identification of regional biodiversity conservation research priorities.

      2.    To review projects proposed by the ASEAN countries for urgent implementation and select the most relevant projects and include these in a research prospectus.

      3.    Organization of a Research Conference with representation from ASEAN and European Institutions to finalize the recommendations from the research prospectus.

      4.    Priority projects having regional relevance and promoting scientific co-operation with Europe, will be financed from the ARCBC applied research budget.

      5.    Research projects endorsed by the Conference, but not included in the Center’s research funding will be submitted for possible funding outside this project.

4.   Database Establishment and Information Dissemination: The ARCBC will facilitate the flow of biodiversity-related information among scientists and scientific institutions and other relevant bodies in ASEAN and between ASEAN and the EU scientific institutions by creating and maintaining  institutional formal links and electronic repositories of sources of biodiversity data in each country.  Information handling via ARCBC accessible databases will be offered to interested parties on payment of a distribution fee.

A newsletter will be issued regularly and documentation on biodiversity conservation in ASEAN will be produced in different languages.