The UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme and Regional Programme on Building Partnership on Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) forged a partnership agreement to strengthen the implementation of coastal resource management in SGP and PEMSEA participating countries.

Recognizing the role of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and People's Organizations (POs) in addressing coastal and marine concerns, the PEMSEA-SGP Partnership aims to strengthen community-based support by enabling access to technical services among the existing SGP projects in PEMSEA sites. This mechanism will be done by encouraging the Project Management Office Staff, CBO, PO and/or NGO SGP beneficiaries and National Coordinators to discuss ways by which existing projects can be strengthened and collectively address coastal and marine resource degradation.

Partnership activities will also be extended in the formulation and implementation of new projects in PEMSEA sites to expand efforts in marine and coastal resources management and conservation. This will be done by encouraging partner community-based organizations to identify potential projects for funding through the GEF Small Grants Programme.

More importantly, the partnership strengthens synergy in the implementation of community-based coastal resources management projects by enjoining implementers and the community beneficiaries to come together, share experiences, expertise, information and resources to facilitate more effective implementation process.

Initially, the partnership covers six countries in East Asia where PEMSEA and SGP are operational. These include Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

The partnership is based on a joint communiqué signed by SGP Global Manager, Dr. Delfin Ganapin and PEMSEA Regional Programme Director, Dr. Chua Thia-Eng.