MTCP, JICA Enters Second Phase Of Collaboration On Bornean Biodiversity, Ecosystem Conservation In Sabah

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia), June 14 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have entered the second phase of collaboration on Sustainable Development on Bornean Biodiversity and Ecosystem Conservation (SDBEC) in East Malaysia state of Sabah under the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP). Director of the Foreign Affairs Ministry's Sabah regional office Mahruzahrin Maskan said the second cycle of the cooperation was to improve the capacity and information dissemination in biodiversity conservation which the Economic Planning Unit and JICA had earlier collaborated and which ended last year. "Now, MTCP under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had agreed to continue the TCTP collaboration with JICA in the second cycle of cooperation from 2013 to 2017. "In this new cycle, the training course is designed to share experience gained in the Bornean Biodiversity and Ecosystems Conservation Programme (BBEC) with other parts of the world such as ASEAN, the Pacific Islands, South Asian and African countries," he said at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between JICA, Federal and Sabah governments, here, today. The signing of the MoU was witnessed by Sabah State Secretary Sukarti Wakiman. Mahruzahrin also said University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) through its Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC) had been tasked to undertake the Integrated Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management Training Course. He expressed gratitude towards to the state government for giving its full commitment to support the programme. "In this regard, MTCP would like to offer its deep gratitude to the Sabah State agencies involved in this programme such as the Natural Resource Office, Sabah Parks, Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Wildlife Department," he said. Present at the signing ceremony was Chief Representative of JICA Malaysia Office Kunihiko Sato. -- BERNAMA