The Sustainable Development Strategy is a package of applicable principles, relevant existing regional and international action programmes, agreements, and instruments, as well as implementation approaches, for achieving sustainable development of the Seas of East Asia. It offers a regional framework for the interested countries and other stakeholders to implement, in an integrated or holistic manner, the commitments they have already made, without assuming new legal obligations. It addresses linkages among social, cultural, economic and environmental issues. It embodies the shared vision of the countries and other stakeholders for the Seas of East Asia, and the ways by which they will achieve that shared vision. The Strategy does not reflect any individual country, international organization, or sectoral interest but presents a regional perspective, principles, and guidelines, and a platform for each to play and strengthen its respective role and to cooperate with one another in addressing common issues and concerns. The Sustainable Development Strategy is based on a programmatic approach and the consensus reached among the countries and other stakeholders particularly with regard to needs, nature and purpose, basic role and functions, scope of application and essential elements.
