The Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific was launched in 2009 in Tokyo, Japan with the objective of integrating the 3Rs in policy, planning and development. The forum provides a strategic platform for sharing best practices in 3R areas, including new and emerging issues of concern in waste management. Established in 1971 the UNCRD is based on an agreement between the Government of Japan and the United Nations.
"The aim is to shift the global consumption and production patterns towards building a sound-material-cycle society, recognizing the importance of reducing barriers to the international flow of goods and materials for recycling and re-manufacturing, particularly in developing countries."
The 8th Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific, 9-12 April 2018, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, is being co-organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (formerly Ministry of Urban Development) Government of India, the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development , under the theme of "Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency- A 21st Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities".