CHRONICLE

MEETING OF ASEAN MINISTERS IN MINERALS
AND RELATED MEETINGS AT HÀ NỘI IN THE 2011 YEAR

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, combining with other branches and organs, has successfully organized the ASEAN Meetings in Minerals at Hà Nội from 6 to 12 December, 2011.

The ASEAN Meetings in Minerals in 2011 year include: 3^rd Meeting of ASEAN Ministers in Minerals (AMMin-3), 11^th Meeting of ASEAN Summits on Minerals (ASOMM-11), 4^th Meeting of ASEAN Summits on Minerals with 3 interlocutor countries Japan, China and Korea (ASOMM+3) and 8^th Meetings of 4 ASEAN Working Groups on Minerals.

The ASOMM Meetings came into being on the basis of Indonesian Government and ASEAN Secretariat suggestions at the 5^th Meeting of ASEAN Summits in December, 1995 organized at Bangkok, Thailand. In this Meeting, ASEAN leaders adopted the Program of ASEAN cooperation in minerals during the 1996-1998 stage, at the same time fixed ASEAN cooperative targets in this domain and passed orientations on the establishment of ASEAN mineral database. The first ASOMM Meetings held in 22-24/10/1996 at Bali, Indonesia. In the ASOMM-3 Meeting held in April, 2011 at Bruney, the first Meeting of 4 ASEAN Working Groups on Minerals took place, including: Working Group on Strengthening of capacity in the mineral domain, Working Group on Mineral Database and Information, Working Group on Friendly with Environment Exploitation and Processing of Minerals (at present, Working Group on Sustainable Development of Minerals), and Working Group on Mineral Commerce and Investment. In the framework of the ASOMM-7 Meeting organized in August, 2005 at Kuching, Malaysia, the first AMMin obtained successful results. Together with ASOMM-8 taking place in 6 August, 2007 at Nay Pyi Taw, Myan-mar, the first ASOMM+3 was organized.

According to ASEAN general rules, Meetings of Working Groups, ASOMM and ASOMM+3 are annually organized, while AMMin is organized 2 years/time, alternately at ASEAN countries. This is a forum for ASEAN countries to discuss in the strengthening of cooperation, speeding the development of mining industry in the ASEAN region.

Realizing the Decision No. 02/NQ-TW in 25/4/2011 of the Politburo on the orientation of mineral strategy and mining industry to the 2020 year, with the eyeshot to 2030, Việt Nam has been suggesting the following orientations: geological heritage; study of marine geology and mineral resources; study, prospecting and exploration of hidden mineral resources; exchange of geological specimens and publications; periodical conference on geology and mineral resources.

ASEAN meetings on minerals in 2011 at Việt Nam were successfully organized that has been highly evaluated by domestic and foreign friends, through this raising the position of Việt Nam on the international field. These meetings have discussed for speeding the following 6 main orientations: developing and sustainably using mineral resources: speeding up cooperation in mineral commerce and investment; promoting cooperation in the establishment of policy and standards for mining activities for obtaining optimal effects, aiming to enhance the capacity and system in the geological and mineral domain; forwarding the ASEAN forum of dialogue on minerals in private domain; encouraging the enlargement of cooperation in regional and international forums on mineral resources.

In the AMMin-3, the Deputy Premier Hoàng Trung Hải assisted and opened the Meeting. He emphasized the importance of the mineral domain in the socio-economic development of ASEAN countries. At the same time, he raised high the demand of diminishing passive impact to environment and community of this industry. Through the exchange of information and construction of capacity between ASEAN countries, the Deputy Premier believed that the mining industry for minerals will be sustainably developed. Besides, he encouraged ASEAN countries to harmonize commercial policy and to invest for attracting more manpower to the mining industry for minerals, especially to the mineral processing work.

ASEAN countries cooperated with interlocutory countries in the successful realization of many activities of capacity construction, among them there are: a/ Program of Capacity Construction and Training related to Improvement and Restoration of deserted mine land including management and processing of waste water; b/ Program of Training on Recovery and Recycling of Minerals/ Metals designed for officials of the Government; c/ Symposium on Sustainable Development of Mineral Resources; d/ Training on Management of the Security of mines and Medical service; e/ Training on Management of the Mining Environment; f/ Training on Improvement and Restoration of deserted Mine Land, including Management and Processing of waste water; and g/ Symposium on Sharing Geological Information between ASEAN+3 countries (APT).

In the Meeting, delegations discussed on the importance of an ASEAN System of Database and Information on Minerals in the creation of a better approach for the trade community and public in the exploitation of information on opportunities in commerce of minerals, related policies, at the same time, promotion of investment in the mineral domain of ASEAN countries.

Aiming to intensify the contribution of the mineral branch in the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, Ministers set forth the Hà Nội Declaration on the ASEAN Sustainable Tie in Minerals. Ministers adopted also the Plan of ASEAN Mineral Cooperation Activity Project (AMCAP) during the 2011-2015 stage with the topic “Initiative in the Mineral Domain and Dynamic for a Prosperous ASEAN”. Being the successor of the Evaluating Index of ASEAN Cooperation in Minerals during 2009-2011, the AMCAP 2011-2015 will concentrate in following strategies: promotion of sharing information, creation of favourable conditions for commerce and investment, promotion of mineral development sustainable in environment and society, and enhancement of capacity of the system and manpower on minerals in the ASEAN region. Ministers recognized the Explicit Initiative of the Mining Industry (EITI) and accepted to carry out activities aiming to raise the capacity on this initiative in the framework of AMCAP.

Some figures of the ASOMM Meetings:

Figure 1. Deputy Minister of MONRE Mr. Nguyễn Linh Ngọc opened the ASOMM-11 Meeting.	Figure 2. Vice President of the People’s Committee of Hà Nội City Mr. Vũ Hồng Khanh welcomed the ASOMM-11 Meeting.
Figure 3. Chiefs of delegations taking part in the ASOMM-11 took photograph for souvenir.	Figure 4. Mr. W. Partowidagdo, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, Co-Chairman of AMMin+3.
Figure 5. Director of GDG&M, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thuấn, President of ASOMM-11 opened the ASOMM+3 Meeting.	Figure 6. Minister of MONRE, Mr. Nguyễn Minh Quang, Chairman of AMMin-3 answered to interview outside the Meeting.
Figure 7. Deputy Premier, Mr. Hoàng Trung Hải opened the AMMin-3 Meeting.	Figure 8. Deputy Premier, Mr. Hoàng Trung Hải took photograph for souvenir with leaders of delegation in AMMin-3 Meeting.

Ministers were satisfied by cooperative activities realized in the framework of the ASEAN Summits on Minerals Meeting with 3 interlocutors (ASOMM+3). They highly evaluated China, Japan and Korea by their significant contribution and continuous help through the technical help to ASEAN countries in the realization of measures accepted in the framework of the Index Evaluating the Cooperation of Economic Community of ASEAN on Minerals during 2009-2011.

At the end of the Meeting, ASEAN Ministers on Minerals signed the Hà Nội Declaration with the wish for strengthening the cooperation between ASEAN countries in the mineral domain for the prosperity of ASEAN.

HÀ NỘI DECLERATION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MINERALS FOR THE PROSPERITY OF ASEAN

(Summary of main content)

Reaffirming the Manila Declaration committing to enhance the ASEAN cooperation in minerals with 6 orientations in policies: 1/ Guaranteeing the sustainable development and use of mineral resources; 2/ Pushing up the cooperation in mineral commerce and investment; 3) Promoting the cooperation in the development of guide and standard of the policy of Practising best mining of ASEAN; 4) Increasing manpower and system in the geological and mineral

domain; 5) Speeding up the ASEAN dialogue forum on minerals; 6) Encouraging the cooperation and common approach in regional and international forum on minerals.

Committing to realize within the required time programs and main activities of cooperation touched upon in the Plan of ASEAN Mineral Cooperation Activities during 2011-2015 (AMCAP 2011-2015).

ORIENTATIONS OF POLICY ON THE INCREASE OF ASEAN COOPERATION IN THE MINERAL DOMAIN

Guaranteeing the continuous develop-ment and sustainable use of minerals for the environment and community in the ASEAN region aiming to maximize the interests of the community and national economics, and to help in the fight again worldwide financial crisis;

Pushing up the commerce and investment for minerals through the share of information on favour/current laws, equilibrating stipulations and favours, simplifying and helping the interlocutory relation between governmental and private fields, aiming to amalgamate efforts on regional mix and demands of development of ASEAN enterprises, contributing in the conduct of ASEAN to participate deeper in the production series of the region and on the world.

Promoting the development of construction, operation, maintenance and promotion of the system of information and database in minerals of ASEAN, sharing information on resources and mineral commerce, exchange of best knowledge and reality aiming to raise the ASEAN cooperation on minerals;

Intensifying the capacity of system, personnel and technology in the ASEAN domain of geology and minerals, aiming to guarantee the management and rational use of geological and mineral resources;

Encouraging the cooperation and common approach in regional and international forums related to minerals, such as Forum of Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Meeting of UN Committee on Sustanaible Development.