Context: India will host the 12th Regional 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.
- Theme: “Realizing Circular Societies Towards Achieving SDGs and Carbon Neutrality in Asia-Pacific.”
- Spearheaded by Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs), in collaboration with Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, UN ESCAP, UNCRD, UNDSDG, and UNDESA, supported by the Government of Rajasthan.
- The forum will focus on advancing circular economies and supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and carbon neutrality across the Asia-Pacific region.
- Over 500 international and domestic participants are expected to attend the three-day conference.
- The conference will include plenary sessions, country-specific discussions, theme-based roundtables, and opportunities for knowledge-sharing and networking.
- Delegates will have the chance to undertake technical field visits to solid and liquid waste management facilities and will also visit key heritage sites in Jaipur.
- A dedicated ‘India Pavilion’ will showcase India’s initiatives and achievements in the 3R and circular economy domain.
- The Pavilion will feature exhibitions from key ministries and national missions, highlighting India’s whole-of-government approach to sustainable development and signing of agreements under the CITIIS 2.0 program
- Multiple launches of knowledge products will take place, including a compendium of over 100 best practices compiled by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
- The Forum will feature an international ‘3R trade and technology exhibition’, with over 40 Indian and Japanese businesses and start-ups showcasing best practices, ideas, and solutions supporting circularity and 3R principles.
- Waste-to-wealth initiatives by NGOs and Self-help Groups across India will be highlighted, promoting sustainability-driven entrepreneurship and community engagement.
- The Forum will conclude with the adoption of the ‘Jaipur Declaration’ for transitioning to a resource-efficient, circular economy in Asia-Pacific countries.
- The Jaipur Declaration (2025-34) will build on the Hanoi Declaration (2013-23) and provide a framework for developing 3R and circular economy policies, shifting from a linear to a circular economy.
- The last Forum was hosted by Cambodia in 2023, and India previously hosted the 8th edition in Indore in 2018.
About Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum
- Launched by the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) in 2009.
Objective: To provide strategic policy inputs for mainstreaming 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) and circularity in the Asia-Pacific region and serve as a platform for sharing best practices in 3R.