The Asia Foundation is moving on to another phase of its cooperative agreement with US-AEP in implementing the Nongovernmental Organization-Business Environmental Partnership (NGOBEP). The NGOBEP began in 1995 as an initiative to promote cross-sector cooperation through clean production for sustainable development.

A Closure Workshop on July 27 in Manila, Philippines highlighted the success of the US-AEP-funded NGOBEP program in that country. Participants reviewed and discussed lessons learned from 10 completed subprojects, including one implemented by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines. The association, which educated its members on waste minimization, water and energy use, and best business practices, also produced a user-friendly manual and trained 1,000 "environmental advocates" in the industry.

The Asia Foundation will continue to operate the NGOBEP through other resources. US-AEP will continue to be involved with the NGOBEP�s exciting projects by providing access, connections and networks to TAF via US-AEP�s Tech Rep operations overseas.

Among upcoming projects are an ISO-14000 seminar in New Delhi, India for the hospitality industry, a conference on conflict resolution in Washington, DC, and a project involving environmental management for a luxury hotel chain to be carried out by Bali Fokus, a new NGO.

The U.S. State Department, US-AEP Malaysia and US-AEP Policy Group hosted a videoconference on August 17 that addressed recent trends in "corporate sustainability reporting". The forum comprised panelists from Malaysia and the U.S. who addressed the value and benefits of public reporting on corporate environmental, social, and economic performance. The discussion focused on how Global Reporting Initiative is a natural outgrowth of models of voluntary standards.

45 observers and panelists that included members of the Malaysian Business Council for Sustainable Development, Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and Ford Motor Company attended the event.

In recent weeks, US-AEP Environmental Exchange Program (EEP) has sponsored a variety of study tours.

Four members of Thailand�s Pollution Control Department came to Atlanta July 9-25 for the U.S. EPA�s training course, "Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund," after which they traveled to Sacramento to receive hands-on training in health risk assessment and ecological assessment. In addition to formal training at the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the group participated in site visits, met informally with project personnel, and visited the Department of Pesticide Regulation. Two group members also went to Seattle to meet with the EPA, which will visit Thailand later this year.

Dr. Donald Kendall, General Manager of the Calleguas Municipal Water District, visited Thailand August 8-18 to provide guidance to the Thai Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), which plans a large project to pump treated water into the ground to recharge aquifers in and near Bangkok. By assisting DMR with the selection process and training its staff on groundwater, Dr. Kendall improved DMR�s planning process and increased the chances of the project�s success.

Three officials from Vietnam�s Department of Science, Technology & Environment (DOSTE) and five Vietnamese enterprises visited Manila August 14-19 to learn about a US-AEP-supported waste minimization program in the Philippines. DOSTE is overseeing a similar program that will train over 1,000 businesses to minimize waste with the support of low interest implementation loans.

For more information on the WEFTEC Conference, please visit: www.wef.org

If you are interested in meeting with US-AEP Technology Representatives to explore market opportunities or arrange for one-on-one meetings with Asian buyers on the US-AEP delegation, you can contact Sharleen Bakeman at: bakeman@nilenet.com or (303) 651-1001.

We bid farewell to Bob Beckman, who has served as the Chief of Party for the Technical Services Support Contract (TSSC) and welcome Walter Bollinger as the new Chief of Party.

Walter Bollinger joins US-AEP/TSSC with extensive experience in senior leadership positions with the U.S. Agency for International Development. His distinctive career includes serving as Director or Deputy Director of USAID�s Missions in India, Jordan, and Indonesia. Mr. Bollinger also served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Global Bureau, Center for Economic Growth, and the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Bucknell University, a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University, and was a Mid Career Fellow from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.

Bob Beckman, who has served graciously for the past three years as TSSC�s leader, will join the South Asia Regional Initiative/Energy Program as its Regional Coordinator and Program Manager based in New Delhi, India.

We enthusiastically welcome Walter on board and salute Bob for a job well done.

Harriet Rusin is the new Manager of the Information Center in Washington, DC. Harriet joins US-AEP with plenty of information research experience, serving as the reference librarian for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency. She holds a Masters in Library Science from Drexel University.

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