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About the Awards
Objective
The Ryutaro Hashimoto APFED Awards for Good Practices (GPs) aim at promoting information dissemination of good practices towards sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. The initiative collects lessons and experiences from innovative activities implemented in the region in order to promote sustainable development and share knowledge and wisdom with other stakeholders concerned.

Launched in 2006, the Awards Programme received an overwhelming and encouraging response from all over the region. The Programme, under the auspices of APFED, intends to further contribute to the build-up of knowledge and the dissemination of information on good practices.

The Awards Programme is especially supportive of good practice activities in developing countries of Asia and the Pacific, and organisations operating in these developing countries are encouraged to apply. Applicants who participated in the past APFED Awards Programme are encouraged to apply for the 2009 APFED Awards Programme with new practices.
Awards Structure
Awards will be given to recognise the practices that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in promoting environmental management and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. The awards will be given in the following three categories:
Gold Prize: 1 case (USD 20,000)
Silver Prize: 2 cases (USD 7,000 each)
Incentive Prize: Up to 5 cases (USD 2,000 each)

Award prize selection shall be made based on the scores and views given by the Selection Panel members in line with the following viewpoints:
1. Gold Prize (1 case)
The gold prize will be awarded to a practice that has made outstanding achievements in promoting environmental management and sustainable development in the region.
2. Silver Prize (2 cases)
The silver prize will be awarded to practices that have made great achievements in this field.
3. Incentive Prize (Maximum 5 cases)
The incentive prize will be awarded to practices that have unique features and have made reputable achievements.
Benefits and Obligations of Award Recipients
The prize shall, in principle, be given for the purpose of promoting the replication of good practices (GPs) demonstrated in the application. They will then be tailored to meet the particular conditions in respective countries and communities in the region. Information on award activities shall be disseminated through the following:
1) Workshops for sharing lessons learnt from their practices
2) Publications
3) Preparing training/teaching materials
4) Cyber-networks
5) Database system
Awarded projects will receive an external case study on their activities and impacts. A final case study report as well as a Good Practices datasheet with the basic information on the project will be posted on the APFED Good Practices Database. In order to undertake this process, cooperation is sought in the following:
1) Completing a datasheet for inclusion in the APFED Database
2) Assisting in the preparation of case studies
3) Facilitating visits of researchers who conduct the case study
In addition, the winners of gold and silver prizes will be invited to the Awards ceremony to be held at the APFED Fifth Plenary Meeting proposed to take place in Ishikawa, Japan from 31 July - 2 August 2009 (further details shall be announced in due course). The organisers shall cover the cost of award recipients' participation in the meeting.
Areas of Interest
The Awards Programme will cover all environmental fields listed in the application form. Among those, additional scores would be given to the applications that address climate change, the 3Rs (resource and waste management facilitating actions to reduce, reuse and/or recycle resources and fostering sound material cycle, sustainable consumption and production, and circular economy), and biological diversity for the 2009 APFED Awards Programme.
Sectoral issues: climate change, renewable energy, air, freshwater, land, biodiversity, forest conservation, marine and coastal environment, waste, chemicals, etc.
Cross-sectoral issues:environmental governance, innovative environmental finance, trade and environment, human capacity development, environmental information, environmental technology, environmental education, etc.
Eligibility
Who can apply?
Applications are open ONLY to organisations and NOT to individuals. Organisations wishing to apply must be properly registered under the law of their respective country in Asia and the Pacific. Applicants include national or local governments, private sector corporations, non-profit organisations, civil society organisations, academic and research institutions.

Applicants must be an implementing organisation that undertakes the primary responsibility for managing the activities or practices. Organisations that do not play the primary role are not eligible to apply.

What kind of activities qualify?
The activities or practices demonstrated in the application must have demonstrated tangible results and made significant achievements towards the intended outcome in Asia and the Pacific.

The activities or practices must be on-going. Activities that have already been discontinued are not eligible (external assistance may have ceased - in cases where external support were secured - but the activities themselves need to be on-going).

Who should sign the application?
Applications must be signed by the head of the organisation or the authorised representative.
Application signed by a third party or others will NOT be accepted.

What cases will be excluded from receiving the Awards?
Organisations that have won other internationally-known prestigious awards for their practices must be stated and may be excluded from the APFED Awards. However, such practices may be submitted for inclusion in the APFED Good Practices Database. A separate request for database inclusion can be made to the APFED Secretariat/IGES.

Who will be given priority?
Priority will be given to organisations in developing countries in the region.
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