ASEAN foreign ministers plan to discuss tackling transboundary haze ahead of the bloc’s November summit, with Malaysia saying existing ASEAN disaster mechanisms do not cover haze. Malaysia’s foreign minister Mohamad Hasan says ASEAN already has arrangements for natural disasters, but haze is not included or classified in those frameworks.
Multiple outlets report that the meeting is expected to focus on how regional efforts can address haze affecting parts of Southeast Asia. The announcement comes as forest and land fires in Indonesia have been ongoing, with recent haze episodes impacting countries including Singapore and Malaysia.
Outlets characterise the issue as a coordination and classification gap within current ASEAN instruments. The differing emphasis is largely on timing and process—who is chairing or driving the meeting—while agreeing that haze is not treated the same way as other covered disaster categories and that ministers intend to seek remedies before the summit.
