The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) signed a letter of cooperation last week to formalize their partnership in promoting the conservation and sustainable use of coastal and marine biodiversity and resources in the seas of East Asia.

“Joining hands with PEMSEA on this endeavor is an important activity of the Centre as the partnership is in line with our goal of working with various groups and sectors to promote biodiversity conservation in the ASEAN region,” said Rodrigo Fuentes, executive director of the European Union-assisted ACB.

“The rich biodiversity that exists in the seas of East Asia is far too valuable to be ignored. The partnership with ACB opens new doors for collaboration and for the sharing of expertise and experiences in attaining our shared vision of achieving sustainable development of coastal and marine resources,” said Prof. Raphael Lotilla, PEMSEA executive director.

ACB is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence which works on policy formulation, capacity development, and awareness-raising, for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Supported by the Global Environment Facility, with the United Nations Development Programme as implementing agency, PEMSEA facilitates a partnership arrangement among stakeholders to implement the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).