Regional and national partners of the Effectively Managing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in Large Marine Ecosystems in the ASEAN Region (ASEAN ENMAPS) Project convened for the Third Regional Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting to assess the Project’s progress, address implementation challenges, and set strategic priorities for the coming year.
Held in a hybrid format, the meeting brought together representatives from the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the United Nations Development Programme Bangkok Regional Hub (UNDP-BRH), national focal agencies from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, and the ASEAN Secretariat. As the Project’s highest decision-making body, the PSC provides strategic guidance and oversight to ensure that implementation remains aligned with the Project Results Framework and its long-term objectives.
During the meeting, the Project Management Unit presented updates on the implementation of regional and national activities, highlighting progress in strengthening ecologically representative and effectively managed marine protected area (MPA) networks and marine ecological corridors across the ASEAN region. Participants also reviewed accomplishments achieved since the previous PSC meeting and discussed lessons learned from implementation at the regional, national, and pilot site levels.
A key agenda item was the presentation of the findings and recommendations from the Project’s Midterm Review (MTR). The review provided an independent assessment of implementation progress and identified opportunities to further improve project delivery, strengthen coordination among implementing partners, and accelerate the achievement of expected outcomes. PSC members discussed the recommendations and provided guidance on priority actions to enhance implementation during the remaining project period.
The meeting also served as a venue for partners to discuss implementation challenges encountered across the three participating countries, including operational and coordination issues, and to identify practical solutions to address bottlenecks while maintaining momentum toward project targets.
“This Meeting marks another important juncture in the life of the Project, as the Project transitions to the second phase of its implementation. The findings of the Midterm Review of ASEAN ENMAPS will provide a solid technical foundation of the progress that the Project has made in the first half of its implementation,” said Dr. Jerome L. Montemayor, ACB Executive Director, in his opening remarks. “Recommendations provided by the review team would enable the Project to address the bottlenecks it is currently facing; improve coordination between the different stakeholders; increase participation and ownership of stakeholders; and ensure the sustainability of the Project’s outcomes.”
The ASEAN ENMAPS Project is implemented by the United Nations Development Program through the funding of the Global Environment Facility, and with the ACB as the executing agency. It aims to strengthen networks of marine protected areas across the ASEAN region through science-based planning, improved governance, enhanced institutional capacity, and regional knowledge exchange.
The outcomes of the Third Regional PSC Meeting will guide project implementation over the next year, reinforcing regional cooperation and ensuring that ASEAN ENMAPS continues to contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of the region’s rich marine biodiversity for present and future generations.
