Eighth Regional 3R Forum concludes with adoption of Chair Summary which reaffirms the commitment of the Asia-Pacific Nations to promote and imbibe the Principles of 3R

The eighth 3R regional forum in Asia and pacific being held in Indore from the 9th April 2018 concluded today with the adoption of chair summary by the participating nations reaffirming their commitment to promoting the principles of 3R - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. Addressing the valedictory session Smt Maya Singh, Minister of Urban development , Govt of Madhya Pradesh appreciated the outcomes and achievements of the 3R forum and expressed confidence in Forum's capacity in propagation of 3R principles. Mr. Yasuo Takahashi, Vice Minister for Environmental Global Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, Japan was also present for the event. 

In his closing remarks, Sh.Durga Shanker Mishra , Secretary , Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs urged the participants to make efforts to bring to reality the outcomes of the INDORE 3R DECLARATION for acheiving the vision of Mission Zero Waste. He reminded the forum of the principles of 6R as stated by Prime Minister Sh.Narenda Modi i.e Reduce , Reuse, Recycle, Recover , Redesign and Remanufacture which ultimately leads to the 7th R i.e Rejoice (Complete blissfulness).

The 3R forum legacy was handed over to the delegation of the Govt. of Thailand - the host of the next 3R forum to be held in Bangkok, which extended invitation to all the participant nations. Various Civil Society Oganisations (CSOs) and NGOs along with industry players were presented the 3R awards for their exemplary work in the areas of solid waste management, promotion of 3R principles and efforts for the mission of zero waste society.

The 3 day forum was attended by over 700 delegates from more than 45 countries including high-level government representatives from Asia-Pacific countries, City Mayors, international experts, research institutes, representatives of the private and business sector, CSO and NGOs .The delegates discussed and deliberated at length on a variety of issues and strategies concerning the 3Rs through 8 plenary sessions, 5 country breakout sessions and a day-long Mayor's session during the 3 day Conference. The main issues discussed were

• 3R policy implementation in the context of achieving clean land, clean water and clean
• 3R and circular economic development strategies for improving water quality and water security
• potential opportunities of implementing 3R and circular economic development strategies to prevent physical and chemical degradation of land
• potential opportunities of implementing 3R and circular economic development strategies to achieve reduction of air pollution and GHG emissions
• inter-municipal partnerships and cooperation in expanding 3R and waste management services for local communities
• technological options to deal with new emerging waste streams
• role of 3R and circular economy in greening SMEs and enhancing national productivity
• domestic and international financing options and investment opportunities for 3R implementation, including infrastructure development
• review and evaluate countries’ progress, initiatives, achievements and best practices in implementing the Ha Noi 3R Declaration – Sustainable 3R Goals for Asia and the Pacific for 2013-2023.

The highlight of the conference was the adoption and signing of the INDORE 3R DECLARATION by the mayors and city authorities of the participating nations which relevant to vision of sustainable development and achieveing SDG goals. The commitments expressed in the declaration are crucial to promote the principles of 3R . i.e Reduce , Reuse, Recycle and achieveing resource efficiency.

Courtesy: pib.nic.in