The 16^th Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council Meeting was held in Hua Hin, Thailand during 26 – 27 November 2009, the Meeting was chaired by H.E.Mr. Suwit Khunkitti, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, Chairman of Thai National Mekong Committee , Chairman of the MRC Council for 2009/2010, the Meeting was attended by the delegations from four member countries of Mekong River Commission (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam) , the Lao delegation attended the Meeting was led by H.E. Mme Khempheng Pholsena, Minister to Prime Minister’s Office, Head of Water Resources and Environment Administration, Chairperson of Lao National Mekong Committee, Member of MRC Council for Lao PDR

Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh ( right ) links hands for a group photo
with Asean member leaders and US President Barack Obama ( fifth left )
at the opening ceremony of the Asean-US Leaders Meeting in Singapore yesterday

Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh and his delegation yesterday attended the First Asean-US Leaders Meeting in Singapore.

The meeting follows the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting held from November 14-15, also in Singapore.

Government leaders from Mekong sub-region countries Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam have ended discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at the First Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo.

During the summit, the Japanese premier also held bilateral meetings with Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Myanmar Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

ວັນທີ 25/9/2009 ກົມອຸຕຸນິຍົມ ແລະ ອຸທົກກະສາດ ໄດ້ຈັດພິທີປິດສະຫລຸບ ແລະ ມອບໃບປະກາສະນີຍະບັດໃຫ້ແກ່ນັກຮຽນອຸຕຸນິຍົມ ແລະ ອຸທົກກະສາດ ຊັ້ນກາງຊຸດ ທີ III ຂຶ້ນ ທີ່ສະໂມສອນ ກອງພັນໃຫຍ່ 703. ໂດຍການເປັນປະທານ ຂອງ ທ່ານ ນາງ ເຂັມແພງ ພົນເສນາ ລັດຖະມົນຕີ ປະຈຳ ສຳນັກງານນາຍົກລັດຖະມົນຕີ ຫົວຫນ້າອົງການ ຊັບພະຍາກອນນ້ຳ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ, ພ້ອມດ້ວຍຫົວຫນ້າກົມ, ຮອງ ກົມອ້ອມຂ້າງອົງການ ຊັບພະຍາກອນນ້ຳ ແລະ ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ແລະ ແຂກທີ່ຖືກເຊີນ ພ້ອມພະນັກງານກົມອຸຕຸນິຍົມ ແລະ ອຸທົກກະສາດເຂົ້າຮ່ວມ ຢ່າງພ້ອມພຽງ.

UNITED NATIONS, May (IPS) - With exactly 200 days to go before December’s crucial climate talks in Copenhagen, progress is steadily, though slowly, being made. Some issues, however-namely financing and the relative roles of industrial and developing countries - are likely to remain on the table until the end of the year.

"There is a constructive atmosphere in the negotiations and I’m very encouraged," said Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), in a press conference at UN headquarters last week.

Environmental protection is everyone's responsibility, and so is recognition of a job well done.

Recognising those who are doing well will form an integral part of local events to mark International Environment Day, which falls on June 5.

The Department of Environment will issue congratulatory certificates from the government to those sections that have performed well on environmental issues, such as factories, schools and other organisations.