The discord between the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) and the Uniled Nations Development Progamme (UNDP) over lifting of suspension on the Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP) continues over the agreed minutes of a meeting In this regard on December 3.

Sources concerned said UNDP has declined to accept agreed minutes circulated by the External Relations Division (ERD) following a meeting among the MOEF. UNDP and ERD.

ERD convened the meeting to resolve the issue following suspension of the SEMP by MOEF on September 14 and subsequent threat by UNDP to withdraw the remaining 22 million dollars from the 26 million dollar programme. Il also decided Uvat it would not finance any more programme in the environment sector.

Ilie minutes were circulated by ERD last week but UNDP declined to accept that saving, its observations were not incorporated nor those were circulated along with the minutes separately despite an assur ance by Finance Minister SAMS Kibria when its resident representative Jorgen Llssner met nlm on December 4.

Against this backdrop, a number of non-govemment organisations (NGOs) working as SubImplementing Agencies (SIAs) had a meeting with Llssner on Thursday, expressing their reservation about accepting resumption of SEMP with modifications in the original structure and the agreement regarding its implementation.

There are 11 NGOs and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Bank among the 21 SIAS implementing the SEMP.

SIA source said unless MOEF

withdraws its charges of mismanagement and Irregularities and decision to bring certain amendments to the Project Structure Document and changes In Steering Committee and Programme Review Committee, they would not agree to lifting of suspension on SEmP.

Tney also reiterated their support for the UNDP stance and said that they would like to see the ERD take up Implementation of SEMP.

Meanwhile, some of the SIAs are preparing to seek legal action against the MOEF. Eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain, on behalf of the Association of Development Agencies of Bangladesh (ADAB), has already served a legal notice on the MOEF Secretary.

The MOEF has not yet responded to the notice challenging the Secretary's decision to suspend SEMP.