Proceedings of the Workshop on Addressing Transboundary Issues through Regional/Subregional Seas Cooperation: Initiatives in East Asia

PUBLICATION DATE:

Sunday, November 01, 2009

PUBLICATION TYPE:

Meeting Documents

STATUS:

Only Available Online

DESCRIPTION:

This publication summarizes the results of one of the workshops held during the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 on Addressing Transboundary Issues through Regional/Subregional Seas Cooperation: Initiatives in East Asia. In the East Asia Seas (EAS) region, a number of regional and subregional transboundary projects on marine and coastal environmental management have been progressing or initiated recently, each with a goal of developing a subregional Strategic Action Plan (SAP), led by concerned countries, donor agencies, UN organizations, international NGOs, etc. In reviewing these initiatives and projects, the EAS Partnership Council of PEMSEA noted the need for collaboration between these initiatives and projects/programs for creating synergies and sharing knowledge in order to reduce possible duplication of effort, inefficient use of resources, and limited sharing of knowledge, experience, skills and tools. The need for an effective coordination mechanism for the region among the various projects/programmes and implementing agencies/organizations has also noted by the Council. With this realization, a workshop was convened during the EAS Congress 2009 to discuss on various transboundary environmental issues and their implementing mechanisms, good practices and areas of collaboration among the programmes and stakeholders involved. In the workshop, a number of regional, subregional and international organizations including UNDP and UNEP and initiatives including South China Sea, Yellow Sea, COBSEA, NOWPAP, PEMSEA, Conservation International Philippines, Sulu-Sulawesi Seas, Arafura-Timor Seas, Coral Triangle Initiative and Mangroves for the Future presented their works, discussed barriers and opportunities, and identified ways to move forward.