Context:

India will host the 12th Regional 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific to promote a sustainability-driven circular economy.

More on the News 

This three-day forum is scheduled from 3-5 March at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.

Theme: "Realizing Circular Societies Towards Achieving SDGs and Carbon Neutrality in Asia-Pacific."

The 2025 Forum is led by the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in collaboration with Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, UN ESCAP, UNCRD, UNDSDG, and UNDESA, with support from the Government of Rajasthan. 

Multiple launches of knowledge products will take place at the Forum including a compendium of over 100 best practices put together by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).

At the forum ‘India Pavilion’ will showcase India’s remarkable initiatives and achievements in the 3R and circular economy domain.

The forum will adopt the ‘Jaipur Declaration’ to enable a transition to a resource-efficient, circular economy in Asia-Pacific countries.

• The Jaipur Declaration (2025-34) builds upon the Hanoi Declaration (2013-23) to provide participating countries a framework for developing 3R and circular economy policies and programs.
• The Hanoi Declaration (2013-2023) with its 33 goals was the first unprecedented voluntary commitment of Asia-Pacific countries for an efficient and circular society.

The Forum will host an international ‘3R trade and technology exhibition’, for over 40 Indian and Japanese businesses and start-ups to showcase best practices, to support circularity and 3R principles while encouraging cross-learning

Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum

It was first launched by the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) in 2009 in Japan.

• The UNCRD was established in 1971 based on an agreement between the Government of Japan and the United Nations (UN), to promote sustainable regional development in developing countries.

The last Forum was hosted in 2023 by Cambodia. 

India previously hosted the Forum in 2018, when the 8th edition was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.