Proceedings from: Heart of Borneo - Three Countries, One Conservation Vision Workshop, Brunei, April 2004
Posted on February, 22 2006
The Heart of Borneo initiative aims to protect the transboundary highlands of Borneo, which straddle the three Southeast Asian Nations of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia. An exploratory workshop was held on 5-6 April 2005, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei Darussalam, with WWF acting as Secretariat.
The workshop presented the benefits of a large-scale conservation thinking, reviewed issues facing the uplands of Borneo, and promoted the need for effective transboundary partnerships with the aim of developing a conservation vision and action plan to promote a future declaration an the Heart of Borneo.The workshop was attended by over 150 representatives from government and non government agencies of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. There were representatives from many diplomatic missions, UNESCO, ASEAN, IUCN, ITTO, WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy, TRAFFIC, the Brunei Nature Society, and others. There was active and positive participation from all sectors.
In the workshop keynote address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei on behalf of his Ministry, noted that “if the vision to maintain and protect our forests within a much larger area of forest is achieved, it would certainly put the whole of Borneo on the world map as the location of an internationally significant conservation area”. The Address elaborated that Brunei’s future resources were inextricably linked to the policies and actions of neighbouring countries, and therefore, the future of the Heart of Borneo depends on the development of mutually beneficial policies, plans and actions.
During the final session of the workshop a consensus was reached on a vision and an Action Plan to promote a declaration on the Heart of Borneo.