VIENTIANE, 11 August 2024 – ASEAN senior officials convened in Vientiane earlier today for its first Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Task Force on Blue Economy (ACTF-BE).

Hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR with support from the Government of Indonesia, the Meeting deliberated the governance of the ACTF-BE, development of ASEAN’s Blue Economy Implementation Plan, and inputs of ACTF-BE to the AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030, among others.

Reporting to the ASEAN Coordinating Council, the ACTF-BE’s main function is to oversee and report on the implementation of all ASEAN’s blue economy initiatives. The ACTF-BE will also develop network and partnership and conduct regular consultations with relevant stakeholders and partners to advance ASEAN’s blue economy vision, objectives and priorities.