ABSTRACT
The South China Sea is a semi-enclosed sea governed by Part IX of the Law of the Sea Convention. From 2001 to 2006, COBSEA undertook projects such as a study of the impact of sewage on the marine environment in preparation for the 2001 "Regional Workshop on Protecting Coastal and Marine Ecosystems from Land-based Activities in the Asia-Pacific Region" in Toyama, Japan. The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) Action Plan was superseded in 2008 by the New Strategic Direction for COBSEA, which was adopted at the 19th meeting of the members in Siem Reap, Cambodia. In 2010, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) moved from the UN Development Program (UNDP) to become an international organization with legal and financial status separate from the UNDP. There appears to be competition for funding and professional expertise between the two organizations, as they both receive support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
