RO Korea Hosts Twinning Secretariat

Seoul, RO Korea — The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and PEMSEA inaugurated the PEMSEA Twinning Secretariat on 17 June 2008, at KMI in Seoul, RO Korea. The Twinning Secretariat is a functional arm of PEMSEA with the responsibility of coordinating a knowledge-sharing and technical cooperation network that is focused on integrated river basin and coastal area management. Existing members of the twinning network include representatives from projects in the Bohai Sea, Manila Bay, Gulf of Thailand, Jakarta Bay, and Masan-Chinhae Bay. The setting up of the Secretariat is part of RO Korea's contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), with financial support from the Korean government through the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM).A Memorandum of Agreement was signed by PEMSEA, MLTM and KMI for the establishment of the Twinning Secretariat. Prof. Raphael P.M. Lotilla, PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) Executive Director, expressed his sincere gratitude to the RO Korean government, especially to KMI and MLTM for agreeing to host and support the Secretariat. The MLTM, in consultation with the PRF, designated Dr. Jong-Deog Kim of KMI as the interim head of the Secretariat.The 2008 Twinning Workshop is tentatively scheduled to convene in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 21– 23 October under the theme "Good Practices in Environmental Investments for the PEMSEA Integrated River Basin and Coastal Area Management (IRBCAM) Network." The Workshop will feature three sessions, namely: a) Advances in Ecosystem-based Management in Twinning Sites; b) Good Practices in Environmental Investments in Pollution Reduction; and c) the 1st Network Meeting for Capacity Enhancement.As part of his Mission to Korea, Prof. Lotilla also met with officials from various agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), MLTM and the 2012 Yeosu EXPO Organizing Committee to discuss PEMSEA's Legal Personality, the East Asian Seas Congress in 2009 and 2012, and the East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting in July 2008.