Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei to hold "Heart of Borneo" meeting

Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam will hold the Second Tri-lateral Meeting of Heart of Borneo in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, from April 4 to 5, 2008.

The upcoming meeting was a follow up of the the First HoB (Heart of Borneo) Tri-Lateral Meeting which was organized in Brunei Darussalam, on July 18-20, 2007, a press statement of the Indonesian forestry ministry said here on Thursday.

The Second Tri-Lateral Meeting will discuss a Strategic Plan of Action of the Heart of Borneo, which is expected to become a basic guideline for conservation and sustainable development programs to be conducted by the three countries on Borneo Island or Kalimantan Island which is shared by the three neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

Previously, the three countries had issued a Bali Declaration recommending the drafting of National Project Document for the implementation of the HoB at national and local levels.

Under the HoB scheme, the three countries have agreed to carry out cooperation programs on trans boundary management, protected areas management, sustainable natural resource management, and sustainable financing.