The BIE-Cosmos Prize, EXPO 2012 Yeosu for The Living Ocean and Coast is the third edition of the BIE-Cosmos Prize series, born of an initiative between the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and the Expo '90 Foundation (the Commemorative Foundation for the International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, Japan, 1990) and carried out in collaboration with Expo organizers.

In line with the global celebration of World Wetlands Day, the Philippines has declared 02 February 2012 as National Wetlands Day, where all sectors of society are encouraged to conduct activities to promote the conservation of wetlands.

PEMSEA will play part to an international conference that will see scientific and policy experts from around the world discuss how land-based activities affect the marine and coastal environments.

The international conference, to be held at the EDSA Shangri-La Manila in Mandaluyong City, is being organized by the government with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as lead agency, together with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

A new R&D initiative, funded by the world’s shipowners and their P&I insurers, has been launched by ITOPF. The ITOPF R&D Award will provide some £50,000 each year to encourage innovative thinking and provide realistic solutions to some of the challenges faced when responding to accidental oil and chemical spills and undertaking environmental monitoring.

The Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Train the Trainers course will provide participants with better understanding on how the ICM framework has become a useful methodology to promote sustainable development of coastal areas emphasizing on the basic concepts and principles of ICM, the framework and processes involved in developing and implementing ICM at the local and national levels; and tools to assess the social, economic, and environmental status, use and management of coastal areas.

The theme of the course on regional ocean governance draws upon the conduct of maritime affairs in line with the Lisbon Strategy, targeting the Millennium Development Goals and building upon a holistic and integrated maritime policy following the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

World Ocean Week in Xiamen 2011 is scheduled to be held on November 4-10 with the theme "Land-Sea Use Integration for Sustainable Marine Economy: Planning for Sustainable Marine Economy Development." The week-long event will feature the International Ocean Forum in Xiamen (Main Forum), Seminar on Integrated Coastal Management and Urban Development for Developing Countries (Ministry-Level), and other events.

At the Tenth Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the engagement of and collaboration with key actors and stakeholders, including the private sector, as partners in the implementation of the CBD and integration of biodiversity concerns into their relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral plans, programmes, and policies was actively promoted.

Inaugurated in 2002-2003, the UNITAR Series on Sea and Human Security examines, from a comprehensive point of view, the concept of human security as it pertains to seas and the ocean. The Series has to date achieved a degree of thematic development with each subsequent Session alluding to its forebears while also adapting to participant evaluations and changes in the global approach and understanding of ocean management.

2011 Session

The Dekeyser & Friends Foundation offers unique and fully funded Fellowships for the Engage in Conservation Project with world renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace in Hamburg, Germany.

The application deadline is October 16, 2011 (midnight CET), so apply now on our website!