The 31st PEMSEA EC Meeting was conducted virtually on 23 October 2023 via Zoom. Participants of the meeting included the EC, particularly the Chair and Co-Chair, Intergovernmental Session Chair and Co-Chair, the Technical Session Chair of the EAS Partnership Council (PC), and the Executive Director of the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF). Observers from the China PEMSEA Center and the Ministry of Environment (MoE) of Cambodia also attended the meeting. PRF served as the secretariat of the meeting.

The PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Annual Forum 2022 was held in Tangerang Regency, Indonesia, from 26-28 October 2022. The event was hosted by the Tangerang Regency, in coordination with PEMSEA, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) of Indonesia, the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies (CCMRS) of IPB University of Indonesia, and the PNLG Secretariat. It was themed “Strengthening Coastal Resilience Towards Sustainable Local Blue Economies”, and consisted of the following activities:

• a General Assembly where matters related to the PNLG’s governance, policies
and status of operationalization were discussed;

• Technical workshops that facilitated knowledge and experience sharing
among the PNLG members and other key agencies, partners, and programs in
Indonesia;

• Field visits that showcased on-the-ground implementation of the Regency’s
relevant programs and corresponding achievements, particularly on habitat
protection/restoration and alternative livelihoods;

• An exhibit featuring relevant local products and good practices; and

• A series of networking events and cultural presentations. 

The Third Regional Task Force (RTF) meeting on Biofouling Management and Invasive Aquatic Species was jointly organized by the Government of the Indonesia through the Directorate General of Sea Transportation (DGST), Ministry of Transportation, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) on September 20-22, 2022 through a hybrid format, i.e., in-person meeting at Sheraton Surabaya Hotel in Surabaya, Indonesia and virtually via Zoom. This meeting is part of the implementation of the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project (GPP) in the EAS region. Indonesia served as host for the 3rd RTF meeting. 

Over 40% of international trade passes through Southeast/East Asian Seas region. This exposes the region’s marine ecosystems to invasive species attached to shipping hulls and other equipment.

The regional task force on biofouling management adopted the regional strategy on biofouling management  which sets out a clear action plan which includes promoting research and development and technology exchange in the region, the establishment of national biofouling governance, the development of sustainable financing mechanisms within national and region levels among other things. 

Over 40% of international trade passes through Southeast/East Asian Seas region. This exposes the region’s marine ecosystems to invasive species attached to shipping hulls and other equipment.

The regional task force on biofouling management adopted the regional strategy on biofouling management  which sets out a clear action plan which includes promoting research and development and technology exchange in the region, the establishment of national biofouling governance, the development of sustainable financing mechanisms within national and region levels among other things. 

The 15th EAS PC Meeting was held in a hybrid format on 26-27 July 2023 at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Hanoi, Viet Nam, and via Zoom.

Onsite participants of the meeting included the EAS PC Chair; the Technical Session Chair and Co-Chair; the Intergovernmental Session Co-Chair; the Executive Director of the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF); country partners from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam; and non-country partners from the International Union for Conservation of Nature – Asia Regional Office (IUCN-ARO), Korea Environment Institute (KEI), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Ocean Policy Research Institute – Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF), Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG), and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). Online participants included country partners RO Korea and Singapore; non-country partners ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), International Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas Center (EMECS), Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), and Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP). The meeting was also participated onsite by observers from the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC), China PEMSEA Center for Sustainable Development, Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines.

The PRF served as the secretariat. 

The First Regional Steering Committee (RSC) meeting of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Project on Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management in ASEAN Countries (IRBM Project) was held on February 17, 2023 in hybrid format, i.e., in-person component at Park Inn by Radisson in Manila, Philippines and via video conference (Zoom). The meeting was attended by the Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM); National Focal Points (NFPs) of the AWGWRM of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam; representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat; the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok Regional Hub and UNDP Country Office in Indonesia and Lao PDR and the East Asian Seas Executive Committee (EAS EC). The Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU), hosted by PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF), served as Secretariat to the RSC.