Since 1999, the Asia programme has initiated and overseen both Regional and Country Programmes and projects in over 20 countries across Asia.IUCN Asia Regional Office (ARO) based in Bangkok, Thailand, was established in 2002, building on projects and initiatives implemented in the region since the early 1980s.Today, IUCN's Asia Regional Office is the heart of IUCN's operations in South, East and Southeast Asia, overseeing 11 country offices (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam) from Bangkok, Thailand.IUCN Asia also has programme presence in Myanmar and initiatives in other countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, and Timor-Leste. In Asia, we work with a diverse range of partners from different sectors to deliver the organisation's global Programme, in initiatives guided by the Union's shared vision and mission.IUCN's programme in Asia aims to mobilise communities working for biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and poverty reduction in common efforts to halt biodiversity loss and apply nature-based solutions to conserve biodiversity, enhance resilience, strengthen equity and reduce poverty.Our ability to deliver high-quality results makes us a trusted partner of governments in the region. Our current focus builds on the three pillars of IUCN's 2013-2016 Programme: Valuing and Conserving Nature; Effective and Equitable Governance of Nature's Use; and Deploying Nature-based Solutions to Global Challenges in Climate, Food and Development.