Six ASEAN Countries Eliminate Tariffs to Boost Regional Trade
Economic integration for Southeast Asia came closer to reality on January 1 when Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand agreed to import and export most goods across their borders without tariffs. The USAID-managed ASEAN Technical Assistance and Training Facility was instrumental in promoting the dismantling of tariffs to support trade.

Health Experts Attend Field Epidemiology Training Course
Responding to the spread of infectious diseases from animals to humans, veterinarians from 10 East and Southeast Asian countries are attending a USAID-sponsored, month-long course in Bangkok. The program in animal disease surveillance and outbreak response is being held in collaboration with Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development and its Ministry of Public Health, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. At least six of the 20 participants will be selected to join the USAID-funded, two-year Field Epidemiology Training Program for Veterinarians in Bangkok.

National Geographic Commends Wildlife Enforcement Network
An article in the January edition about Asia's illegal wildlife trade and the world’s most notorious wildlife dealer, Anson Wong, states “one cause for hope may be…the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network…with much of its funding provided by USAID. It's a testament to ASEAN-WEN's potential that Anson Wong subscribes to its newsletter." ASEAN WEN is an intergovernmental law enforcement network to combat wildlife crime.

USAID to Provide Energy Efficiency Strategy to Kunming, China
USAID's U.S.-China Sustainable Buildings Partnership (SBP) will provide Kunming, in Sichuan Province, with energy and emissions reduction strategy for its buildings sector. SBP estimates that 10% annual energy savings could result in a reduction of 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide, equal to removing 138,766 cars from the road each year. Kunming, with a population of 6 million people, is one of the fastest-growing second-tier cities in China.

USAID-Funded Film on Human Trafficking Launched in Burma
The MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) film "Traffic," narrated by Burmese pop star Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein, tells the stories of real people who unwittingly became part of the trafficking chain. They include a man from Burma who was trafficked to Thailand and imprisoned in a factory for two years. The USAID-MTV EXIT partnership draws on the brand appeal and global reach of MTV to reach tens of millions of people. In 2009, more than 300,000 people attended MTV EXIT concerts in Asia, and millions more watched them on MTV networks and terrestrial broadcasters.

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