Abstract

The 1997 ASEAN Memorandum of Understanding on Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection may be considered as one of the first ASEAN instruments for the protection of the marine environment. Nevertheless, there is less attention paid on the concluding history of the MOU. What prompted the formulation of the MOU? What was the first country or body that brought the agenda to the table? How did ASEAN member states conclude the MOU? This paper seeks to unfold substantial work that different ASEAN bodies had taken to bring the MOU into existence. In particular, it discusses cross-sectoral dynamics between the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry and the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation. It also questions the current status of the MOU in light of the subsequent development that may have some linkages with the MOU.

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