Regional cooperation for protection of the marine environment in Southeast Asia: current trends in the South China Sea

This article explores current trends in regional cooperation in the South China Sea with regard to marine environmental protection. While there are a large number of bodies engaged in some way in issues relating to the marine environment, this region faces some serious challenges in cooperative efforts. Thus, the article gives an overview of the current cooperation landscape, highlights the most serious challenges faced and looks at the way forward. The possibility of the appropriateness of issue-based solutions, particularly to marine litter, is examined, while at the same time emphasis is laid on the importance of the implementation of international obligations and standards.