PEMSEA E-UPDATES Vol. VI Issue 07 2005
Asian Countries Meet on PEMSEA Transformation and Future of SDS-SEA
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA -- Ten PEMSEA participating countries met and agreed on a
series of actions to be taken for the successful transformation of PEMSEA from a project-
based programme to a country-driven long-term regional implementing mechanism for
the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).
The 11th Programme Steering Committee Meeting (PSC) of PEMSEA was held on 1-4
August and saw the approval, with minor modifications, of a draft Partnership Agreement
and draft Partnership Operating Arrangements for the implementation of the SDS-SEA.
This approval represents a significant milestone in the evolution of coastal and ocean
governance in the region a paradigm shift from an intergovernmental approach, to a
strategic partnership approach involving governments, international financial institutions,
international donor organizations, regional and bilateral projects, the private sector and
civil society. The 11th PSC also adopted a strategic action plan for PEMSEA's
transformation to ensure its smooth transition into its new phase.
The draft Partnership Agreement - to be adopted by Ministers on December 2006 as part
of the East Asian Seas Congress 2006 - will commit PEMSEA countries to implement the
SDS-SEA by mobilizing resources, formulating and implementing national policies and
implementing integrated coastal management programs in at least 20 percent of the
Region's coasts by 2015.
The draft Partnership Operating Arrangements for the implementation of the SDS-SEA
outlines PEMSEA's role to serve as the regional coordinating mechanism for
implementing the SDS-SEA and facilitate the realization of its shared vision, mission,
and action programs. PEMSEA will consist of four major operating mechanisms: the East
Asian Seas Partnership Council; the PEMSEA Resource Facility; the Regional
Partnership Fund and the East Asian Seas Congress.
The 11th PSC was attended by representatives from the PEMSEA participating countries
of Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, RO Korea, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam. International organizations which included the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP)-Manila, UNDP-Global Environment Facility (GEF)-
New York, UNDP-GEF Regional Centre Bangkok and the International Maritime
Organization also participated in the event. The countries of Lao PDR, Myanmar and
Timor-Leste were likewise represented and served as observers to the 11th PSC Meeting,
which was hosted by the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia.
The SDS-SEA was adopted in the Putrajaya Declaration during the East Asian Seas
Congress in 2003. The document serves as a common platform of regional cooperation
and partnership building in achieving sustainable development goals in the East Asian
seas region. Through its implementation, the region also hopes to achieve the objectives
and targets set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development Plan of
Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals.
Chonburi Celebrates Her Majesty's Birthday with Environmental Activities
CHONBURI, THAILAND -- Sriracha Municipality organized a coastal cleanup activity
back to back with the release of 90 green sea turtles as part of National Mother's Day
celebrations commemorating the birth of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.
The cleanup activity, held on 8 August, saw the participation of 400 volunteers who
flocked to clean the Sriracha Municipality coastline. The following day, over 175 persons
participated in the release of the green sea turtles in Kram Island, Sattahip.
Both activities were led by the Sriracha Municipality in cooperation with the Royal Thai
Navy, Coastal Police, Sriracha Fisheries Research Station, the Project Management
Office of PEMSEA's Chonburi Integrated Coastal Management demonstration site, and
other local stakeholders. The activities exposed the local communities to the importance
of marine resources and built awareness on the need to preserve the environment.
Sriracha Municipality's Sea Turtle Conservation Program, established in 1992, aims to
promote sea turtle conservation through public education, community participation and
multi-sectoral cooperation.
Sriracha Municipality is putting significant efforts in its drive to attain a clean and safe
environment to provide its citizens with a good quality of life. It is Sriracha's vision to
one day become a prime area for ecotourism and environmental education.
East Asian Countries Pass Resolution Supporting a Strategic Partnership for
Sustainable Development of their Seas
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA -- PEMSEA participating countries approved on 3 August, a
resolution supporting a Strategic Partnership arrangement to promote and formalize
partnerships among stakeholders to collectively implement action plans contained in the
Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).
The Resolution in Support of the Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Development of
the Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) of East Asia was endorsed during the 11th
PEMSEA Programme Steering Committee Meeting.
In the Resolution, PEMSEA participating countries declared its unanimous support for
the development and implementation of two related and mutually supportive projects that
would help foster and sustain the implementation of the SDS-SEA: the
GEF/UNDP/PEMSEA Project on the Implementation of the SDS-SEA; and the World
Bank/GEF Partnership Investment Fund for Pollution Reduction in the LMEs of East
Asia.
Both projects are still in their development phase, but this early declaration of support
from countries in the region is a sign that a long-term stakeholder partnership
arrangement is being seen and supported by the region as the most effective mechanism
to the sustainable implementation of the SDS-SEA.
The Resolution also saw PEMSEA participating governments agreeing to "do their
utmost in facilitating the application of the Strategic Partnership concept and approach at
all levels in project development and implementation for the purpose of the SDS-SEA."
The participating governments also requested the PEMSEA Regional Programme Office
to strengthen its collaboration with the GEF, UNDP, World Bank and other concerned
partners and stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of all future Strategic
Partnership programs and projects for the implementation of the SDS-SEA.
Click here to download full text of The Resolution in Support of the Strategic Partnership
for Sustainable Development of the LMEs of East Asia.
Interest in EAS Congress 2006 Heats Up
As early as August 2005, the East Asian Seas Congress 2006 has been attracting interest
from nearly a hundred individuals. Inquiries at the Congress website indicate interests to
participate in specific workshop and seminar topics from international organizations,
government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, academic and scientific networks
and institutions. Response is expected to further increase as updates and developments on
the Congress programme are released.
Due to the positive response, the PEMSEA Secretariat encourages interested parties to
collaborate online with us on ideas and suggestions for the programme content. This is to
ensure that participants attend an EAS Congress more attuned to their individual needs
and objectives. An appropriate online comments / suggestion form is available on
www.eascongress.way.to.
To learn more about how you can be a part of the EAS Congress (December 12-16 2006,
PR China), kindly visit www.eascongress.way.to or send an e-mail to
congress@pemsea.org.
Moonrise Film Festival - Promoting Videos for the Environment
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- PEMSEA recently participated in the Moonrise Film
Festival recognized as the first Philippine environmental film festival. The Film Festival
showcased competing and exhibit films covering various environmental concerns such as
mining, fisheries, biodiversity, vanishing culture, coastal management and other
environment-related problems.
Monsoon Tale, a PEMSEA-produced video, was among those included in the films for
exhibition. Other exhibit films include Children of the Mountains, Paradise Regained,
Under the Sea, Last Stand in Kalimantan and Safari. Competing films included Buhay
Dagat, Environment Art, Sagka, Ilog/Taga-Ilog, Marikina, The Headhunters' Shadow,
Legacy: Philippine World Heritage Site, Fishing for Hope, Agno, Tamarraw Quest,
Winning the War on Garbage the Ecological Way, Moving Mountains, Liwasan ng
Bayan, Mt. Manabo, Sunrise in Oriental Mindoro and Wailing Paradise.
Nongovernment organizations, international organizations, environmental advocates and
universities participated in the event which was organized by the Center for
Environmental Awareness and Education.
The Moonrise Film Festival is an initial attempt to provide a venue for the public
showing of documentary-format films focused on Philippine culture and environment. It
was sponsored by the Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants Foundation, Bureau
of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Fisheries Resource Management Project, Gateway
Mall, Unilever Philippines, GMA-7, The Manila Bulletin, Discover Philippines and
Yehey.com.
Nine Municipalities in China to Pursue Sustainable Coastal and Marine
Development
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA -- Nine municipalities in PR China will be developing their
own integrated coastal management (ICM) parallel sites in pursuit of sustainable coastal
and marine development. In the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed 2 August
between, PEMSEA, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) of China and the coastal
municipalities of Dongying, Fangchenggang, Leting, Lianyungang, Panjin, Qingdao,
Quanzhou, Wenchang and Yangjiang, the municipalities will implement the ICM
framework and processes developed by PEMSEA through ICM parallel sites.
The MOA was signed by SOA International Cooperation Department Director-General,
Mr. Li Haiqing and PEMSEA Regional Programme Director, Dr. Chua Thia-Eng in a
ceremony held as part of the 11th PEMSEA Programme Steering Committee Meeting.
Mr. Li Haiqing also represented the nine participating municipalities during the ceremony.
The MOA aims to address the coastal and marine environmental and resource problems
as well as the need for innovative management approaches in the nine municipalities.
The municipalities recognize ICM as an effective approach to resolve multiple coastal
and marine use conflicts, minimize adverse impacts on environment and ensure the
sustainable socioeconomic development of coastal areas. The new agreement would
serve as a means for PR China to enhance its ICM efforts. The agreement also has
regional implications as the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia
calls for the scaling up of ICM programs across the region.
PR China is also home to Xiamen Municipality, one of PEMSEA's ICM demonstration
sites. Xiamen has been an active ICM site for nearly a decade and has met with success in
achieving sustained economic growth without compromising its environment. Xiamen's
ICM experiences are expected to provide a good learning-base for the nine coastal
municipalities as they start their own ICM sites.
The nine coastal municipalities now join Quang Nam in Vietnam, Shihwa in the Republic
of Korea, Sukabumi in Indonesia, and Bataan and Cavite in the Philippines as PEMSEA
ICM Parallel Sites in the region.
Partnership Arrangement to Strengthen Implementation of SDS-SEA
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- A partnership arrangement to be adopted by
PEMSEA participating countries is currently being developed and is being seen as a
major step in strengthening the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy
for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).
The Partnership Agreement on the Implementation of the SDS-SEA is to be signed by
PEMSEA participating countries in December 2006 in PR China during the East Asian
Seas (EAS) Congress 2006. Through its signing the countries will be setting up the
necessary operational mechanisms for SDS-SEA implementation.
On 12 December 2003, the PEMSEA countries adopted the SDS-SEA, through the
Putrajaya Declaration, as the region's common platform for achieving the goals and
objectives of the World Summit on Sustainable Development Plan of Implementation and
the United Nations Millennium Development Goals concerning sustainable coastal and
ocean development. The Putrajaya Declaration was a regional expression of commitment
for the implementation of the SDS-SEA. The new Partnership Agreement in 2006 will
put that expression of commitment into concrete action.
The countries view a partnership approach to implementing the SDS-SEA as the way
forward. Such an approach is seen to encourage all stakeholders to participate and bring
into full play the role of each stakeholder within the framework of the SDS-SEA.
The countries will commit to implementing the priority targets of the SDS-SEA by:
mobilizing resources, capacities and services; formulating and implementing national
policies and action plans for sustainable coastal and ocean development in at least 70
percent of participating countries by 2015; and implement integrated coastal management
(ICM) programs in at least 20 percent of the region's coasts by 2015 and promote
regional partnerships in ICM capacity building.
The Partnership Arrangement requires countries to undertake a series of actions within a
three year-period. These separate national actions when taken as a whole regional effort
equates to the actual implementation of the SDS-SEA. The results of these actions would
then be reported at another EAS Congress in 2009. The process would then be repeated
with another three-year action period to be capped by another review in 2012. This three-
year action and review process will serve as the region's means of sustaining and refining
the implementation of the SDS-SEA.
PEMSEA and SOA Gear Up for EAS Congress 2006
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- Preparations for the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress
2006 are well underway as PEMSEA and State Oceanic Administration (SOA) officials
recently met in Hainan Province, PR China to discuss general plans for the event.
Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, PEMSEA Regional Director and Secretariat Head met with Mr. Li
Haiqing, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, and other
SOA and provincial officials 12-14 August to discuss working arrangements for the
Congress.
The EAS Congress 2006 promises to build on the successful staging of the first event
held two years ago in Putrajaya, Malaysia with a comprehensive line-up of plenary
sessions, workshops, seminars, forums and other activities. Renowned international
experts will share their extensive studies and experiences on Sustainable Coastal and
Ocean Development, Coastal and Ocean Governance, Eco-system Management, Eco-
Labeling and Certification, Coastal and Maritime Safety and Security, Economics and
Finance, and Management-Related Science and Technology.
The 2006 Congress expects to attract around 700 participants - including high-level
government officials, members of the scientific and business communities, academicians
and other civil society stakeholders - from the East Asian Seas region and other parts of
the globe to discuss timely and meaningful issues related to sustainable development,
review current experiences and practices, and prepare plans for action.
Xiamen Municipality Hosts International Coastal Cities Forum
XIAMEN, PR CHINA -- The Xiamen Municipality will be hosting an international
forum which will serve to provide local governments with the opportunity to share
knowledge, best practices and lessons learned in issues affecting the sustainable
development of coastal cities.
The Xiamen International Forum for Coastal Cities 2005 will be held on 8-9 October.
City Mayors from over 50 coastal cities around the world are expected to attend the event
which will address critical issues related to urban planning and management in coastal
areas such as pollution from land-based activities, marine ecosystem protection and water
governance. The Xiamen Forum will also emphasize the local application of global
commitments such as Local Agenda 21, the Millennium Development Goals, the
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and the Global Programme of Action for the
Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities.
PEMSEA Regional Programme Director Dr. Chua Thia-Eng will be sharing PEMSEA's
experiences in building partnerships for sustainable development during the Xiamen
Forum. Xiamen Municipality has served as a PEMSEA integrated coastal management
demonstration (ICM) site for nearly a decade and has met with success in achieving
sustained economic growth without compromising its environment. The Xiamen Forum
is a significant opportunity for the sharing of PEMSEA's ICM experiences not only in
Xiamen but in other coastal cities in the region and will enable possible replication of
these successes in more coastal cities in the future.
The Xiamen Forum is organized by the Xiamen Municipal Government, The State
Environmental Protection Administration of China (SEPA), and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with PEMSEA and ICLEI-Local
Governments for Sustainability.
Thai and Vietnamese Professionals Join PEMSEA Internship Programme
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- PEMSEA welcomes Mr. Le Dai Thang and Ms.
Saowalak Winyoonuntakul as the Regional Programme's new interns.
Thang is from the Vietnam Environment Protection Agency and Saowalak is a Senior
Foreign Relations Officer of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources in
Thailand.
During their four-month internship, they will learn about PEMSEA's framework and
approaches on project operation and management, the concept and approaches of
integrated coastal management (ICM), the implementation of subregional sea
areas/pollution hotspot projects, and the implementation of the Sustainable Development
Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).
Specifically, Thang will gain hands-on experience in project development and
management by assisting in the development and implementation of the ICM parallel site
in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, in coordination with the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment and the local government of Quang Nam. He will also assist
in the Gulf of Thailand (GOT) Environmental Management Project by providing
technical and administrative support for the national project task team in Vietnam.
Saowalak will assist in coordinating the implementation of project activities of the
Chonburi ICM Project and provide inputs in the preparation of the implementation of the
SDS-SEA in Thailand.
The internship program is part of PEMSEA's measures to provide opportunities for
highly motivated young professionals to acquire and strengthen their skills in coastal and
marine resources management. PEMSEA interns are expected to learn skills in project
management by taking a pro-active participation through direct exposure to PEMSEA's
work.
PEMSEA Welcomes New Staff
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- PEMSEA welcomes Mr. Benjamin Garcia, Assistant
Congress Coordinator and Mr. Rodolfo Pantilliano, Consultant, as new staff.
Benjie will primarily be responsible for the effective conduct of the East Asian Seas
Congress 2006, overseeing the overall organizational and logistics arrangements, the
mobilization of resources, and congress promotions and publicity.
As a consultant, Audie will be involved in the development of a financial case study for
the Nippon Foundation Research Task Force on the Dynamics of Regional Cooperation
on Oceans and Coasts
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