Framework of NEAC

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A.	Objective
(1)	As environmental degradation accelerates throughout the region, and as it becomes clear that lasting solutions require increased involvement from local governments, the private sector and the public, the main objective of NEAC should be to promote free discussion and policy exchange, and to enable access to useful, accurate information at all levels.
(2)	Through these activities, NEAC is aimed at contributing to effectively cope with domestic and regional and global environmental problems, such as air pollution, nature conservation, and water and waste management, and to ultimately lower pollution throughout North-east Asia.
B.	Roles
(3)	The NEAC should play several roles. Through the NEAC Mechanism the participation of various stakeholders can be enhanced. These include environmental institutions, local governments, and NGOs as well as relevant government ministries and agencies.
(4)	Since it is largely a forum for maintaining an open policy dialogue, it serves as a basic foundation for other environmental programs. Its ties to other conferences and programs such as TEMM and NEASPEC should therefore be strengthened. To this end, host countries will present information and results generated through NEAC at the following TEMM and NEASPEC meetings. The host country will take measures to share NEAC's outcomes, such as publishing and reporting the presentation documents and agreed results.
(5)	Considering the timing of conferences of similar programs, it is possible to promote various measures for providing TEMM and NEASPEC chances for holding interim reviews and expert group meetings in specific areas, such as transboundary air pollution, nature conservation and bio-diversity, within NEAC's framework.
C.	Participating and Hosting Countries
(6)	Six Northeast Asian Countries--China, D.P.R. of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, and Russia--will join this conference as member countries.
(7)	Member countries would host NEAC meetings in turns. However, in case of special circumstances the venue can be changed by the conference participants.
(8)	The host country would cover the expenses of two participants from each member country.
D.	Agenda and Activities
(9)	It is recognized that review activities are very important to examine the progress of domestic and regional measures according to outcomes of previous meeting.
(10)	The conference consists of four sessions. Each session's agenda will include various environmental issues in Northeast Asia, and would be adopted in the previous meeting. In order to provide a policy basis for other environmental programs, approval items and ongoing projects of other environmental mechanisms can be considered in the process of selecting the agenda of NEAC meetings.
(11)	In collaboration with local governments and private organizations, host countries can organize special activities, such as public symposia and exhibitions.