ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence that facilitates co-operation and co-ordination among the members of ASEAN on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.东盟生物多样性中心是一个政府间区域性卓越中心，负责推动东盟成员国之间在生物多样性保护与可持续利用方面的合作与协调。

It also works with relevant national governments, regional and international organisations, is acknowledged as the first regional initiative to save ASEAN's rich but highly threatened biodiversity, and continues the work of the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation.它还同相关国家政府、区域与国际组织合作，被视为挽救东盟丰富却高度受威胁的生物多样性的首个区域倡议，并承接了「东盟区域生物多样性保护中心」的工作。

History

• The centre is a continuation of the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, a joint co-operation project of ASEAN and the European Union.该中心承接自「东盟区域生物多样性保护中心」，那是东盟与欧盟的联合合作项目。
• The earlier project was hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.此前的项目由菲律宾环境与自然资源部承托。
• From 1999 to 2004 that project successfully established a bridge that fostered strong collaboration among ASEAN member states and between ASEAN and European Union partner institutions.1999 至 2004 年间，该项目成功搭起桥梁，促成东盟成员国之间以及东盟与欧盟伙伴机构之间的紧密合作。
• It also gained recognition in the regional and global arena for biodiversity work.它还因生物多样性方面的工作而在区域与全球层面获得认可。
• A year later, in 2005, ASEAN and the European Union agreed to establish the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity to carry on the work of the completed project.一年之后的 2005 年，东盟与欧盟同意设立东盟生物多样性中心，以延续已结束项目的工作。
• A financing agreement inked between the European Union and ASEAN provided the necessary funding for establishing the centre.欧盟与东盟签署的融资协议，为该中心的设立提供了必要资金。
• The centre was established primarily to facilitate co-ordination and co-operation among member states on the sustainable use and conservation of biological diversity.该中心的设立，主要是为了推动成员国之间在生物多样性可持续利用与保护方面的协调与合作。
• The agreement establishing the centre was signed by the environment ministers of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.设立该中心的协议由文莱、柬埔寨、印度尼西亚、老挝、马来西亚、缅甸、菲律宾、泰国、新加坡与越南的环境部长代表各自政府签署。
• The centre was launched at the ninth informal ASEAN ministerial meeting on 27 September 2005.该中心于 2005 年 9 月 27 日在第九次非正式东盟部长级会议上正式启动。
• The same agreement established the ASEAN Biodiversity Fund, to be filled by voluntary contributions from member states and other governments and organisations as approved by the governing board.同一份协议还设立了「东盟生物多样性基金」，由成员国以及其他经治理委员会批准的国家与组织自愿捐款充实。
• The fund is intended to meet the expenses of the centre and its various initiatives.该基金用于支付该中心及其各项倡议的开支。
• The host country agreement was signed on 8 August 2006 in Manila, providing that the Philippines would be the host country for the centre.东道国协议于 2006 年 8 月 8 日在马尼拉签署，规定菲律宾为该中心的东道国。
• The centre is headquartered at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna.该中心总部设于拉古纳省洛斯巴尼奥斯市的菲律宾大学。
• Subject to concurrence by the Philippine senate, the government would later grant immunities and privileges to the centre and its staff.经菲律宾参议院同意后，政府将随后授予该中心及其工作人员豁免与特权。
• The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Finance, the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Transportation and Communication and the central bank all endorsed ratification of the host country agreement.环境与自然资源部、财政部、移民局、交通与通信部以及菲律宾中央银行都支持批准该东道国协议。
• The National Biodiversity Centre represents Singapore in the centre and is the national agency involved in biodiversity conservation and research in Singapore.新加坡国家生物多样性中心代表新加坡参与该中心，也是新加坡负责生物多样性保护与研究的国家机构。

Mission and activities

• Its purpose is to facilitate co-operation and co-ordination among ASEAN members on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.其宗旨是推动东盟成员国之间在生物多样性保护与可持续利用方面的合作与协调。
• It also coordinates with relevant national governments and with regional and international organisations working on biodiversity.它还同相关国家政府以及从事生物多样性工作的区域与国际组织进行协调。
• The executive director of the centre has been Dr Theresa Mundita Lim.该中心的执行主任曾由 Theresa Mundita Lim 博士担任。
• The executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Ahmed Djoghlaf, described the centre as a unique mechanism that uses a bottom-up approach to deal with the biodiversity loss problem.联合国《生物多样性公约》执行秘书 Ahmed Djoghlaf 称该中心是「一个采用自下而上方式应对生物多样性丧失问题的独特机制」。
• An earlier executive director, Rodrigo Fuentes, noted that ASEAN countries had declared twenty-seven areas as ASEAN Heritage Parks and designated 1,523 protected areas based on World Conservation Union categories.较早一任执行主任 Rodrigo Fuentes 指出，东盟各国已宣布 27 处区域为「东盟遗产公园」，并依据世界自然保护联盟的分类体系划定了 1,523 处保护地。
• He added that promoting national and regional co-operation on environmental agreements and establishing a regional database of biological resources were also part of the action to curb biodiversity loss.他还表示，推动各国与区域在环境协定方面的合作，并建立区域生物资源清单数据库，也是遏制生物多样性丧失行动的组成部分。
• The centre maintains a biodiversity knowledge management department as part of its work.该中心设有生物多样性知识管理部门，作为其工作的一部分。
• It operates an ASEAN biodiversity dashboard and an ASEAN clearing house mechanism as public information resources.它运营「东盟生物多样性数据看板」与「东盟信息交换机制」，作为面向公众的信息资源。
• The ASEAN Biodiversity Fund supports its expenses and initiatives, funded by voluntary contributions approved by the governing board.「东盟生物多样性基金」支撑其开支与各项倡议，资金来源是经治理委员会批准的自愿捐款。
• Because it is intergovernmental, its work depends on the agreement of member states rather than on individual membership.由于其政府间性质，其工作取决于成员国的共识，而非个人会员。

Organization and governance

• The centre is governed through a governing board, which approves the use of the ASEAN Biodiversity Fund.该中心通过治理委员会进行治理，由后者批准「东盟生物多样性基金」的使用。
• It operates as a regional centre of excellence within the ASEAN structure rather than as a national agency.它以东盟体系内的区域性卓越中心的形式运作，而非国家机构。
• The host country agreement provides for immunities and privileges for the centre and its staff, subject to ratification by the Philippine senate.东道国协议规定为该中心及其工作人员提供豁免与特权，但须经菲律宾参议院批准。
• Its headquarters at the University of the Philippines Los Baños links it to an academic host institution.其设于菲律宾大学洛斯巴尼奥斯校区的总部，使它与一所学术承托机构相连。
• Member states participate through their environment ministries and through national biodiversity agencies such as Singapore's National Biodiversity Centre.成员国通过各自的环境部以及国家生物多样性机构（如新加坡国家生物多样性中心）参与。
• Its establishment agreement was signed by ten ASEAN governments, giving it a formal intergovernmental mandate.其设立协议由十个东盟国家政府签署，赋予它正式的政府间授权。
• The financing agreement with the European Union shaped its early funding and its initial programme of work.与欧盟的融资协议塑造了其早期资金结构与最初的工作计划。

Membership and funding

• Its members are the ASEAN member states, which participate through their governments rather than as individuals.其成员是东盟成员国，它们以政府身份而非个人身份参与。
• The European Union provided the necessary funding for the establishment of the centre through a financing agreement with ASEAN.欧盟通过同东盟的融资协议，为该中心的设立提供了必要资金。
• The ASEAN Biodiversity Fund, established by the same agreement, is filled by voluntary contributions from member states and other approved governments and organisations.依同一协议设立的「东盟生物多样性基金」，由成员国以及其他获准的国家与组织自愿捐款充实。
• The fund is used to meet the expenses of the centre and its various initiatives.该基金用于支付该中心及其各项倡议的开支。
• Because it is an intergovernmental body, it does not charge membership dues, and its resources come from agreements, funds and contributions approved by its board.由于是政府间机构，它不收取会员会费，其资源来自协议、基金以及经其委员会批准的捐款。
• Its activities span knowledge management, public information and partnership building, rather than scientific research conducted in its own laboratories.其活动涵盖知识管理、公众信息与伙伴关系建设，而非在自有实验室中开展科学研究。
• The centre's agreement was signed by ten Southeast Asian governments, giving its mandate a regional rather than bilateral character.该中心的协议由十个东南亚国家政府签署，使其授权具有区域而非双边性质。
• Its early programme of work was shaped by the transition from a donor-funded project to a permanent institution.其早期工作计划受到从捐助方资助项目向常设机构过渡这一过程的影响。
• Its ASEAN biodiversity dashboard was launched as part of a broader effort to make regional biodiversity information easier to find and compare.「东盟生物多样性数据看板」的推出，是让区域生物多样性信息更易查找与比较的更广泛努力的一部分。
• Because its establishment followed a completed donor-funded project, its early years combined project-style programming with the permanence expected of an institution, and its budget still depends on continued political commitment from member states and partners.由于其设立承接自一个已结束的捐助方资助项目，其早期兼具项目式运作与机构应有的长期性；而时至今日，其预算仍取决于成员国与伙伴持续的政治承诺。
• Its work is carried out in co-operation with partner institutions in ASEAN member states, which supply national expertise and data.其工作与东盟成员国的伙伴机构合作开展，由后者提供本国专长与数据。

Reception

• The centre is acknowledged as the first regional initiative to save ASEAN's rich but highly threatened biodiversity.该中心被视为挽救东盟丰富却高度受威胁的生物多样性的首个区域倡议。
• Its reputation rests partly on the record of the predecessor project, which established collaboration among member states and with European partners between 1999 and 2004.其声誉部分建立在前身项目的成绩之上——该项目在 1999 至 2004 年间促成了成员国之间以及与欧洲伙伴的合作。
• The executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity welcomed its bottom-up approach to biodiversity loss, giving it international endorsement.《生物多样性公约》执行秘书对其自下而上应对生物多样性丧失的方式表示肯定，为其提供了国际认可。
• The figures it reports on ASEAN Heritage Parks and protected areas are frequently cited as indicators of regional conservation effort.它所报告的东盟遗产公园与保护地数量，常被引为区域保护努力的指标。
• Its dashboard and clearing house mechanism make regional biodiversity information publicly accessible, which is unusual for an intergovernmental body.其数据看板与信息交换机制使区域生物多样性信息可为公众获取，这对政府间机构而言并不常见。
• Because its establishment followed a completed donor-funded project, its early years combined project-style programming with institutional permanence.由于其设立承接自一个已结束的捐助方资助项目，其早期兼具项目式运作与机构长期性的特征。
• Its reliance on voluntary contributions and donor financing makes its budget dependent on continued political commitment from member states and partners.其对自愿捐款与捐助方资金的依赖，使其预算取决于成员国与伙伴持续的政治承诺。
• Hosting by a national university gives it academic proximity but also ties its location to a single member state, which is why the host country agreement sets out immunities for its staff.由一国大学承托使其贴近学术环境，但也把其所在地与单一成员国绑定，这正是东道国协议为其人员规定豁免的原因。

Notable people

• Dr Theresa Mundita Lim has served as executive director of the centre.Theresa Mundita Lim 博士曾担任该中心执行主任。
• Rodrigo Fuentes, an earlier executive director, publicly set out the scale of ASEAN's protected area and heritage park network.较早一任执行主任 Rodrigo Fuentes 曾公开说明东盟保护地与遗产公园网络的规模。
• Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, described the centre's approach as a unique mechanism.《生物多样性公约》执行秘书 Ahmed Djoghlaf 称该中心的做法是一个「独特机制」。
• The environment ministers of ten ASEAN countries signed the agreement establishing the centre on behalf of their governments.十个东盟国家的环境部长代表各自政府签署了设立该中心的协议。
• Singapore is represented in the centre by its National Biodiversity Centre, the national agency for biodiversity conservation and research.新加坡由国家生物多样性中心代表参与该中心，后者是该国负责生物多样性保护与研究的国家机构。
• Philippine government departments and the central bank endorsed ratification of the host country agreement that made the Philippines the host.菲律宾政府部门与中央银行支持批准使该国成为东道国的东道国协议。