On November 5, the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV) hosted a knowledge-sharing workshop of the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) on the theme "Environmental Management and Protection in Industrial Zones and Craft Villages."
The workshop attracted over 40 participants, including delegates from ASEANSAI member Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
At the workshop, speakers from the SAIs of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Viet Nam, and the People’s Committees of Nam Dinh and Ha Tinh provinces presented papers, exchanged ideas, and shared experiences on the role of SAIs in promoting environmental audits and improving environmental management and protection in industrial zones and craft villages—areas undergoing a strong transformation from traditional handicrafts to modern industrial production.
The workshop held significant importance not only for ASEANSAI member SAIs but also for the broader Southeast Asia community, as it collectively works towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), protecting the environment, and maintaining accountability in public governance.
Earlier, at the third regular meeting of the ASEANSAI Knowledge Sharing Committee in 2022, the committee agreed to organize this knowledge-sharing workshop on the theme “Environmental Management and Protection in Industrial Zones and Craft Villages” based on a proposal from the SAV, which serves as the knowledge-sharing project leader for 2024.
According to the SAV, the management and protection of the environment in industrial zones and craft villages is a critical issue not only for the Vietnamese government, the National Assembly, and citizens but also for many developing countries facing similar challenges when transitioning from traditional industrial production to modern industrial manufacturing. The project aims to provide a comprehensive and specific overview of the environmental status in these areas, contributing to the development of policies and measures to improve the environment in line with sustainable development goals.