ACEDP 5th Joint High-level Round Table Meeting and Synthesis Workshop
Two consecutive events formally concluded ACEDP on 26-27 April 2012 in Hangzhou (Zhejiang, China): the Fifth ACEDP High-Level Roundtable and a Synthesis Workshop to look at how to sustain ACEDP's gains. Australia's Shanghai-based Consul General, Alice Cawte, and AusAID's Senior Water Advisor, Marcus Howard, addressed the participants. China's delegation was led by MOFCOM Director General Yin Songhua with senior representation from other agencies.
The Roundtable noted summary reports including on monitoring and evaluation and the close of all activities by June 2012. All 23 ACEDP projects have been completed on time and within budget. The Workshop was the culmination of a six-month independent Synthesis Review that gathered a broad set of key stakeholders to take stock of ACEDP outcomes and advance opportunities for cooperation beyond ACEDP. 72 representatives of 16 government agencies and 18 academic, private and non-government organisations from Australia and China participated. The Synthesis Report is available here.
ACEDP 4th Joint High-level Round Table Meeting
The 4th ACEDP Hight Level Roundtable (HLRT-4) was held on 16 December 2010 in Canberra, Australia with participants from the Program Owners AusAID and MOFCOM, the four Chinese core partners, the five Australian core partners, the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE) as an observer, the ACEDP Environmental Advisory Team (EAT), the ACEDP Program Coordination Office (PCO) and the Chinese Embassy to Australia. In the morning session of the meeting each partner agency firstly introduced their delegation and made brief remarks regarding agency portfolio priorities relevant to ACEDP. Representatives from AusAID explained feedback from the Independent Progress Report of ACEDP and reported on the newly established Operations Committee. The Program Manager delivered a status report on ACEDP projects. In the afternoon session each Chinese agency presented its perspectives on the forthcoming new Five Year Plan, including implications for its policy priorities. AusAID introduced the proposed strategic direction for remainder of ACEDP, which triggered active discussions among the participants. The Operations Committee of ACEDP was delegated authority to make decisions on how to evaluate and select the extension projects for utilizing the unallocated funds.
ACEDP 3rd Joint High-level Round Table Meeting
The third annual meeting of the ACEDP Joint High-level Roundtable (HLRT–3), the premier decision-making body of the program, was held in Beijing on 27 July 2009. The meeting chaired by Ms Octavia Borthwick, Assistant Director General, Asia Regional Branch, AusAID and Mr Zhang Kening, Commercial Counsellor (Director-General Level), MOFCOM. Delegations from the nine Program Core Partners, members from the Environmental Advisory Team (EAT), program coordination office (PCO), and the managing contractor GHD Pty, along with other relevant external experts participated in the event. Also present were His Excellency Dr Geoff Raby, the Australian Ambassador and representatives from the Australian Embassy in Beijing and the Australian Government Department of Climate Change.
The theme for HLRT-3 is Developing and Sustaining Partnerships. Sessions included
· ACEDP Progress Review
· Emerging Policy challenges
· 4th International Yellow River Forum
· At the half-way mark: strategic challenges for ACEDP
· ACEDP Mid Term Review
· 3rd Annual Plan
The meeting also ratified name change of ACEDP from Australia China Environment Development Program to Australia China Environment Development Partnership.
ACEDP 2nd Joint High-level Round Table
The second annual meeting of the ACEDP Joint High-level Roundtable (HLRT–2), the premier decision-making body of the program, was held in Canberra on 8 September 2008. Program owners AusAID and MOFCOM jointly chaired the meeting. Delegations from the nine Program Core Partners, members from the Environmental Advisory Team (EAT), program coordination office (PCO), and the managing contractor GHD Pty, along with other relevant external experts participated in the event. Also present were representatives from the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and the Chinese Embassy in Australia.
Key topics discussed during the meeting included environmental priority areas for the program, ways of engaging Australian agencies in the program, upgrading of activity-level outcomes to program-level policy interventions and dialogues, the improvement of funding mechanisms, and emerging issues such as climate change and the Sichuan earthquake recovery. The ACEDP Progress Report, Policy Landscape Review Report, discussion papers on the program strategic directions and annual planning process were also discussed.
The meeting endorsed these reports and papers in principle. The PCO will amend these papers incorporating comments of delegates and prepare a final version. The programs operations manual will also be updated, and new guidelines for project funding procedure developed.
ACEDP 1st Joint High-level Roundtable
The 1st Joint High-level Roundtable (HLRT – 1) of the Australia China Environment Development Program (ACEDP) was successfully held in Beijing and Canberra on 25th September 2007.
In total 45 participants attended the videoconference: 33 in Beijing and 12 in Canberra. Delegates from the 4 Chinese Core Partner agencies (NDRC, MWR, MEP (then SEPA), SFA), the 5 Australia Core Partner agencies (DEW, DAFF, CSIRO, NWC, MDBC), AusAID, MOFCOM and GHD were in attendance. Based on the outcomes of the roundtable meeting, the PCO prepared the first annual plan of work, which was approved by AusAID and MOFCOM on 13th November 2007. Activities commenced late 2007.