RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia has formally inaugurated the office of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC), underscoring its role as the hub for tackling cross-border haze issues in Southeast Asia.

Indonesian Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said the move reaffirms Indonesia’s commitment to lead regional coordination.

“Indonesia was designated as the ACCTHPC host in 2016, ratified the agreement in 2023, and ASEAN officially established the centre here that same year," Minister Hanif explained in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

"Today, protocols are being drafted so each member state can ratify them through their own regulations,” he added.

The initiative stems from the devastating forest fires of 1997–1998, which produced massive haze, disrupted economies, harmed public health, and strained relations among ASEAN countries.

In response, ASEAN agreed to build a framework for a haze-free region. Minister Hanif noted that Indonesia is now preparing a presidential regulation to ratify the cooperation formally, while urging all ASEAN members to adopt coordinated haze-control plans.

“Once the ratification is complete, ACCTHPC will be fully operational. For now, we are optimizing its role to accelerate domestic efforts against forest and land fires, in line with the President’s instructions,” he said.

Minister Hanif added that the Ministry of Environment will share the outcomes of the meeting with ASEAN representatives in Jakarta to strengthen coordination ahead of full operations.

“ASEAN coordination is crucial to address haze. Moving forward, we will mobilize all instruments we have to jointly manage this challenge at the regional level,” he concluded. ***