Jakarta, 13 July 2020: The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) held the ‘Online Joint Dialogue on Waste Management in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic’ with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the second activity with AIPA under the MoU between ERIA and AIPA signed in December 2016 and renewed in January 2020 (ERIA renews MoU with ASEAN inter-parliamentary assembly)

While the Joint Dialogue was originally based on the Resolution on Establishing AIPA-ERIA Joint Dialogue to Support the Waste Management for Sustainable Development adopted at the 40^th General Assembly of the AIPA in August 2020 in Bangkok (Resolution on The 40th AIPA General Assembly) the Dialogue actually consisted of two sessions on municipal solid waste management and medical waste management based on the contents of the Policy Brief on ‘Strengthening Waste Management Policies to Mitigate the COVID-19 Pandemic’ (Strengthening waste management policies to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic), considering the situation influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her opening remarks, Hon. Ms Nguyen Tuong Van, Secretary-General of AIPA, described the importance of developing harmonized prevention and mitigation policies in all government levels among ASEAN countries.

In the first session on ‘Municipal Waste Management and Its Current or Potential Issues due to COVID-19’, Prof Enri Damanhuri, Institut Teknologi Bandung, made a presentation (PPT Prof Damanhuri), followed by a Q&A Session where Hon. Mr Putu Supadma Rudana, Member of Parliament (MP) of Indonesia, H.E. Dr Ty Sokhun, MP of Cambodia, Mr Sanya Praseuth, MP of Lao PDR, and Hon. Ms Khairunnisa Ash'ari, MP of Brunei explained the current circumstances in their counties and discussed the roles of the parliamentarians.

In the second session on ‘Medical Waste Management and Its Current or Potential Issues due to COVID-19’, Prof Agamuthu Periathamby, Jeffery Sachs Center on Sustainable Development, Sunway University, made a presentation on ‘Clinical Waste Management and COVID-19’ (PPT Prof Agamuthu), followed by a presentation by Hon. Asst. Prof Boonsong Kaigate, Member of the Thai Senate; Spokesperson of the Standing Committee on Public Health, titled ‘Thailand Infectious Waste Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic’ (PPT Hon.Kaigate). In the Q&A Session, Hon. Ms Dyah Roro Esti, MP of Indonesia, H.E. Dr Ty Sokhun, MP of Cambodia, and Hon. Mr San Shway Wynn, MP of Myanmar, explained the current situations in their countries.

Summary Report

In closing, Prof Hidetoshi Nishimura, President of ERIA, expressed his appreciation for all participants and the AIPA Secretariat’s efforts and confirmed ERIA’s continuous intellectual contribution to support the MPs’ political commitments and implementations for better waste management in a ‘new normal’ society.