UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000032

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAGR PREL ASEAN BX
SUBJECT: HEART OF BORNEO UPDATE



1. According to the Government of Brunei (GOB), there is yet one
more procedural step to be taken before the Heart of Borneo (HOB)
partner nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei) can begin to
implement the HOB forest conservation declaration that was endorsed
by their leaders at the ASEAN Cebu Summit. Dato Hamdillah, Deputy
Minister for Industry and Primary Resources and GOB point person for
the HOB, told Ambassador that the declaration endorsed by the
leaders still needs to be signed by appropriate ministers from the
partner governments before it officially comes into effect. He
believed there would be an opportunity for all three ministers to
meet in mid-February and hold a signing ceremony.


2. Dato Hamdillah did not foresee any substantive hurdles to having
all three governments sign the declaration, since the text was
agreed prior to endorsement by the leaders. The only issue was the
procedural one of finding a time when all three ministers could
gather. Nevertheless, he described the signing as a necessary "next
step" for the HOB to move forward.


SKODON