Proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the Blue Carbon Technical Working Group

The 3rd PEMSEA Blue Carbon Technical Working Group Meeting, held online on 12 September 2025, focused on three main items: Partnership Council feedback from the 17th EAS PC Meeting in July, updates to the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP), and program planning for 2025–2026. The TWG approved the RBCAP Main Manual while keeping the ecosystem-specific annexes open for further refinement, with members agreeing to prioritize mangroves as the most methodologically mature ecosystem before integrating seagrass, salt marshes, and tidal flats. The meeting also introduced Dr. Suk-Jae Kwon as the new TWG Chair, succeeding Dr. Keita Furukawa, and set schedules for upcoming Core Group meetings on the seagrass and salt marsh annexes ahead of the next TWG plenary on 4 November 2025.

The 5th PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) General Assembly was held at the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, on 27 March 2026. The meeting served as a strategic platform to review PNLC accomplishments, discuss future workplans, and strengthen regional collaboration in coastal and marine management.

A total of 20 out of 25 PNLC member institutions participated in the General Assembly, representing countries across the East Asian Seas region, including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Lao PDR, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. The meeting brought together experts, researchers, and institutional representatives to exchange knowledge and align priorities.

The General Assembly covered the following key agenda items: (1) Opening of the meeting and approval of the Meeting Agenda; (2) Presentation of PNLC Accomplishments in 2024-2025 and Workplan for 2026; (3) The PEMSEA Regional Strategic Framework: Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia Implementation Plan 2023-2030 and the Role of PNLC in Implementation; (4) Collaboration with PEMSEA Partners and Projects; (5) Other Business, including announcements by PNLC Members; (6) Next Steps; and, (7) A Special Session by the SKLMEH on Conservation and Management of Marine Biodiversity.

The meeting also highlighted ongoing and upcoming collaborative initiatives, which included presentations on the Effectively Managing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Large Marine Ecosystems of the ASEAN Region (ASEAN ENMAPS) Project and the Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project. The IPB University introduced the PKSPL Regional Summer Course on Marine Litter Management, Policy, and Integrated Coastal Governance in the East Asian Seas Region. Dr. Brian Szuster of the University of Hawai’i (UH) introduced a project concept on a Blue Carbon Initiative for the PNLC which was conceptualized and inspired by the PNLC Blue Carbon Workshops co-sponsored by UH.

In addition, a special session on marine biodiversity conservation was conducted by SKLMEH, featuring expert presentations and discussions on integrated approaches, global monitoring programs, and innovative tools such as eDNA for marine conservation.

The Regional Workshop entitled “PNLC Regional Workshop: From Knowledge to Action: Scaling Blue Carbon Initiatives in the East Asian Region” was hosted by the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) and held in Antipolo, Philippines, from 25–26 March 2026.

The workshop brought together 43 participants including experts, speakers, and representatives from PNLC member institutions from 8 countries across the region, namely Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

Co-sponsored by the Luce Foundation, University of Hawai‘i, University of the Philippines–Marine Science Institute, the Ministry of Environment Indonesia, and the PNLC, and organized by the PNLC Secretariat in coordination with the PEMSEA Resource Facility.

The 35th PEMSEA Executive Committee Meeting was held on 31 March 2026 at the PEMSEA Resource Facility in Quezon City, Philippines, attended by EAS Partnership Council Chair Atty. Jonas Leones, Intergovernmental Session Chair Mr. Le Dai Thang, Intergovernmental Session Co-Chair Dr. Xinwei Yu, Technical Session Chair Dr. Suk-Jae Kwon, Technical Session Co-Chair Dr. Kazumi Wakita, observers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines and the China PEMSEA Center, and PRF staff led by Executive Director Ms. Aimee T. Gonzales. The EC approved the revised schedule for PRF Executive Director recruitment and the updated 18th EAS Partnership Council Meeting agenda (22–23 July 2026, Singapore), noted and endorsed the 2025 Audited Financial Statements reflecting a clean audit and total receipts of USD 4.16 million, and endorsed the 2025 Accomplishment Report and the 2026–2027 PRF Workplan and Budget with projected receipts of USD 6.7 million. Key strategic decisions included endorsing a phased re-engagement approach with Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei as formal PEMSEA country partners; approving the PEMSEA Youth Engagement Readiness and Pilot Program; endorsing the Marine Protected Areas in the East Asian Seas Report; and noting updates on the Blue Carbon Program, Organizational Capacity Assessment, and Business Development and Resource Mobilization initiatives. Under other business, the EC endorsed Indonesia as host of the EAS Congress 2027, called for nominations for the vacant EAS PC Co-Chair position, and approved the establishment of an annual PEMSEA Day.