NOWPAP was invited to the 14th Meeting of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council virtually on 27-28 July 2022. The meeting reviewed the key accomplishments of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and discussed the 2023-2027 Implementation Plan (IP) of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). The meeting was participated by country representatives from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam; non-country partners, including NOWPAP, and observers.
The first version of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) was agreed upon by 14 country partners in 2003. It laid the framework for cooperation and partnerships among PEAMSEA stakeholders for the sustainable development of the Seas of East Asia. The SDS-SEA was updated in 2015. The Implementation Plan of SDS-SEA for 2023-2027 has set the outcomes, objectives, and targeted actions that will guide the partnership’s actions towards a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient blue economy in the EAS region in the next five years.
NOWPAP was invited to provide comments on the Implementation Plan of SDS-SEA. The NOWPAP Representative briefed the ongoing NOWPAP activities, including seagrass mapping, eutrophication assessment, communication exercises on oil spills, and the development of the State of Marine Environment Report. He also introduced that the draft Regional Action Plan on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and updated Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter are prepared and ready for the adoption of the NOWPAP Member States. He wished further to explore opportunities for cooperation with PEMSEA in the implementation of the SDS-SEA and NOWPAP strategy so that the region's ocean governance will be enhanced.
