PRESS RELEASE

July 02, 2008

 

Joint Office 33-U.S. Embassy Press Release On the scheduling of the next Joint Advisory Committee Meeting

The United States Embassy and the Office of the National Steering Committee on overcoming consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam (Office 33) in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment announced today that Vietnam and the United States would hold the third annual meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee (JAC), a bilateral forum for high-level scientific dialogue on Agent Orange/dioxin, in early September. The JAC works to improve bilateral scientific coordination and cooperation on the human health and environmental effects of Agent Orange/dioxin through discussions of the scientific aspects of the dioxin issue to provide policy makers of the two governments with sound, science-based advice. U.S. JAC members represent the Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, and the Department of State. Vietnamese participants came from the National Steering Committee 33, which coordinates Government of Vietnam policy on Agent Orange/dioxin, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Academy for Science and Technology.

Previous meetings focused on technical exchanges for environmental and health research and documented achievements, collaborative relationships and potential avenues for progress. Last year, JAC members toured the dioxin hotspot at the former U.S. air base in Danang. This year’s JAC meeting provides an opportunity to build upon earlier cooperation and will, for the first time, welcome inter-actions with the broader donor community. Earlier this month, USAID announced that it was seeking concept papers from qualified non-governmental organizations interested in designing and implementing model projects to support people with disabilities in Danang and surrounding areas. Funding for these projects, which will be implemented in the near future, comes from the 2007 Congressional Supplemental Appropriation of US $3 Million for dioxin mitigation and health activities in Vietnam. USAID will also soon hire an environmental health and remediation advisor to support public health and environmental remediation efforts in Vietnam, with a focus on health-related programs and support for environmental remediation efforts in areas surrounding former U.S. air bases where large quantities of Agent Orange were stored and handled.

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