Ministers and senior officials from 52 Asian and Pacific countries have recently pledged to alter current patterns of production, consumption and distribution and promote cleaner, environmentally sustainable growth in their fight to eradicate poverty.

The Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific, which convened in Seoul, Republic of Korea, comprised two segments: a Senior Officials Meeting from 24-26 March, and a Meeting of Ministers from 28-29 March 2005. Participants, including Ministers, officials, and environmental experts and representatives from international organizations, discussed strategies for environmentally sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region for 2006-2010. At the close of the conference, Ministers adopted the Seoul Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth: ‘Green Growth’, a Ministerial Declaration, and the Regional Implementation Plan for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2006-2010. The Ministerial Declaration declared that “Environmentally sustainable economic growth or ‘Green Growth’ should be promoted as a basis for improving environmental sustainability and attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the region.” The Implementation Plan calls for, among others, promoting partnerships, using economic tools to improve ecological efficiency, mobilizing technical and donor support, reviewing national laws and identifying, monitoring and building capacity to manage disaster risks. The Seoul Initiative contains three targets: improving environmental sustainability of economic growth; enhancing environmental performance in pollution control and ecosystem management; and promoting the environment as a driver of economic growth and development. IISDRS coverage of this meeting.