Ensuring Continuity and Sustainability for PEMSEA's Next Phase

 

Quezon City, Philippines — In preparation for PEMSEA's entry to its fourth phase in 2014, the 13th Executive Committee Meeting focused on the key actions needed to ensure smooth transition in operations and mechanisms and help strengthen the organization’s self-financing capacity.

 

The Meeting emphasized the need to continue building the ownership of PEMSEA among Country Partners and to actively market the value of the organization in coastal and ocean governance, integrated coastal management (ICM) and marine environmental protection in order to generate buy-in and foster stronger stakeholder support for PEMSEA’s activities.

 

The Executive Committee tasked the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) to look into other ways and means for sustaining PEMSEA, including the development of new projects and the promotion of PEMSEA products and services to PEMSEA member countries as well as non-member countries.

 

Starting 2014, PEMSEA will be an independent international organization, and as such, PRF staffing will be directly contracted and administered by PEMSEA. The Executive Committee also named Mr. Stephen Adrian Ross, currently Acting PRF Executive Director and Chief Technical Officer, to the post of Executive Director for a one-year term.

 

The 13th Executive Committee Meeting was held on 28–29 October and hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines. The Meeting was attended by newly elected members of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council, including Ambassador Mary Seet-Cheng, EAS Partnership Council Chair; DENR Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, Intergovernmental Session Chair; Prof. Chul-Hwan Koh, Technical Session Chair; Dr. Antonio La Viña, Council Co-Chair; Dr. Zhang Zhanhai, Intergovernmental Session Co-Chair; and Mr. Makoto Harunari, Technical Session Co-Chair. Also present were representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Manila.