EAS Partnership Council welcomes new Chairs and Co-chairs

Surabaya, Indonesia – New East Asian Seas Partnership Council Executive Committee (EC) Chairs and Co-Chairs were sworn into office today during the 11th EAS Partnership Council Meeting held in Surabaya, Indonesia.

 

With the successful completion of their terms, Council Chair Dr. Antonio La Viña and Technical Session Chair Mr. Makoto Harunari handed over the chairmanship to their former council co-chairs. Mr. Arief Yuwono, Adviser for Energy to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, took an oath to become the new Partnership Council Chair.

 

Dr. Jae Ryoung Oh, Principal Researcher at the South Sea Research Institute of Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), became the new Technical Session Chair.

 

 

Dr. Vu Thanh Ca, Associate Professor at the Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment took the seat as the Intergovernmental Session Chair.

 

 

The EAS Partnership Council elected three new additions to the committee to fill the vacated co-chair positions. The elected Council Co-Chair, Dr. Vann Monyneath, is the Deputy Secretary General of the National Council for Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Environment, Cambodia.

 

 

The Technical Session Co-Chair, Dr. Keita Furukawa, is the Director of Ocean Research and Development Department from Ocean Policy Research Institute of Japan.

 

 

Intergovernmental Session Co-Chair, Mrs. Chen Yue, is the Director-General of the International Cooperation Department of State Oceanic Administration, People’s Republic of China.

 

Outgoing Chairs Dr. La Viña and Mr. Harunari are acknowledged for their leadership and guidance to the council from 2016 to 2019. During their term, key decisions made included the approval of SDS-SEA Implementation Plan 2018-2022; critical assessment to achieve a self-sustaining PEMSEA; incubation of innovative financing mechanisms for SDS-SEA Implementation; transition to a new PRF management; and successful hosting of the EAS Congress 2018 and Sixth Ministerial Forum.

 

The EC provides further guidance and direction to the PEMSEA Resource Facility in addressing Partnership Council decisions. The election of the new Chairs and Co-Chairs ensures continuity and broader scope of involvement in PEMSEA’s Leadership.