EAS Congress 2012 Workshop Series: Good Governance, Good Business

 

Quezon City, Philippines — The International Conference on Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Development towards a Blue Economy of the East Asia Seas Congress 2012 will be convening a series of workshops under the subtheme “Good Governance, Good Business” on July 9 to 11 in Changwon City, Republic of Korea.
The three workshops, each session covering an individual sub-topic, will be part of the fourth of five major subthemes that will be part of the fourth East Asian Seas Congress.
The Subtheme “Good Governance, Good Business” will emphasize that achieving a sustainable ocean-based blue economy requires the active participation of both the public and private sector. By implementing the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) through national policies and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, all stakeholders will be able to enjoy optimal economic and social benefits from coastal and ocean resources.
The series will discuss the progress and achievements of national coastal and ocean governance initiatives in the region and the promising role of the business sector in the blue economy. It will also assess the implications of the new ocean agenda from the Rio+20 to the SDS-SEA.
Workshop 1: New Directions and Initiatives for Coastal and Ocean Governance at the Global, Regional and National Levels
This workshop, co-convened by the Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF) of Japan and the Ocean Policy Institute Network in East Asia Region (OPINEAR), will build on the outcomes of the past 2009 EAS Congress and Rio+20 and its implications on the direction and initiatives of coastal and ocean governance. The first session will focus on governance on the global and regional levels. It will assess the impact of the new oceans agenda to the ocean governance and priority targets and activities of the East Asian Seas region. It also seeks to confirm that the SDS-SEA is a relevant framework in implementing the new oceans agenda.
The second session will tackle the discussion of the national ocean policies within the East Asia. This exchange of achievements and challenges will allow participants to apply these lessons learned to their current and future initiatives in developing and implementing coastal and ocean policies and programs.
Workshop 2: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Impacts: Collaborations towards an Ocean-Based Blue Economy
Recognizing the increasing importance of the private sector’s role in environmental management, this special CSR workshop will provide a venue for corporations that have contributed to the sustainability of the marine and coastal areas through their CSR initiatives to present their experiences. This workshop also aims to increase awareness and encourage interested corporations to use Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) as a framework for implementing their own CSR programs.
Another objective of workshop two is to introduce the concept of a corporate network that aims to support sustainability of the seas of East Asia. The network would be composed of various corporations that have committed to aligning their CSR programs with local and national coastal management initiatives.
The workshop is co-convened by Kyungnam University and the Philippine Airlines Foundation (PALF).

 

Workshop 3: Subtheme 4 Plenary
The workshop will serve as the subtheme’s plenary session, with the discussion to be focused on the next steps including the possible establishment of a corporate network for the sustainable development of the Seas of East Asia.
Legislators, policymakers, NGOs, the academe, the private sector, especially those who wish to integrate social responsibility into their organizational programs through ICM, and the UN and other international organizations are invited to participate in the workshops.
The EAS Congress 2012 is hosted by the Republic of Korea and co-organized by PEMSEA, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) and the City Government of Changwon. It is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
For more information on the EAS Congress, contact the Secretariat at congress@pemsea.org or visit http://eascongress.pemsea.org.

 

About the Workshop Co-convenors
OPRF conducts various studies on the whole range of maritime affairs, and has played a major role in achieving the enactment of Japan’s Basic Act on Ocean Policy that entered into force in July 2007. The act established the Headquarters for Ocean Policy which is responsible for the implementation of a comprehensive and systematic ocean policy. The OPRF is a non-Country Partner of PEMSEA.
OPINEAR is an informal and nongovernmental network of ocean policy institutes for the interaction, collaboration and policy development in East Asia. Through regular meetings and cooperation, the institutional members, along with global and regional organizations, are able to exchange information and experiences in order to foster assistance and capacity building in addressing common issues and concerns.
Considered as one of the top universities in Gyeongnam Province, RO Korea, Kyungnam University prides itself of producing community development-oriented professionals through its KU Development Plan, Hanma Vision 2010, which encourages its students to specialize in fields like coastal resources and the environment.
The Philippine Airlines Foundation is the community relations arm of the Philippine Airlines, Asia’s first airline. As an accredited disaster relief, crisis intervention and welfare organization, its main humanitarian and social development assistance program is the PAL Medical Travel Grants. The foundation provides free airfare for impoverished Filipinos who are in urgent need of medical treatment, as well as extends medical care and scholarships to its beneficiaries. It also freely transports relief goods and donations to disaster struck areas as part of its Disaster Response Initiative.