Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia

Description

PEMSEA, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, is a regional coordinating mechanism for the sustainable development of coastal and marine areas in the East Asian Seas region.

It started in 1994 as a project addressing marine pollution in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, originally called Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas, and was later renamed PEMSEA as it built partnerships among stakeholders. It implements the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia, adopted in 2003 to promote a shared vision for sustainable coastal and marine development in the region.

Its work covers coastal and ocean governance, hazard prevention and management, habitat protection and restoration, water use and supply management, pollution and waste reduction, and food security and livelihoods. It has 11 country partners and 21 non-country partners, including governments, scientific institutions, industry associations and international organizations. Every three years it holds the East Asian Seas Congress, bringing together a Ministerial Forum and an international conference to track progress and encourage cooperation.

PEMSEA is implemented with support from the United Nations Development Programme and other funding partners, and its secretariat operates through the PEMSEA Resource Facility hosted by the Philippines. It works across countries including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Koreas, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.