First(EMECS90)

EMECS '90 was sponsored by the Environment Agency, the Governors and Mayors' Conference on the Environmental Protection of the Seto Inland sea, Hyogo Prefecture, the City of Kobe and other organizations, for the exchange of information between government representatives, relevant private organizations and researchers involved in studying the Seto Inland Sea and other enclosed coastal seas throughout the world. The world's first EMECS conference was attended by 1,238 persons from 42 countries and regions around the world, including representatives from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The 186 representatives were divided into 9 sessions and covered a broad spectrum, including the humanities and social sciences as well as the natural sciences. This enabled researchers, government officials and private citizens who otherwise tend to become locked into their own specialist fields to meet, discuss, and exchange information and techniques. The result was a fulfilling experience befitting the first international conference on the topic. The achievements of the conference were summarized in the Seto Inland Sea Declaration. Related parties in countries around the world pledged their solidarity and cooperation to work to achieve the goals set forth in the declaration.

Seto Inland Sea Declaration

The rich environment and great benefits of enclosed coastal seas must be passed on to future generations. To this end, all those concerned should seek to advance the use of such seas in a sustainable manner, while conserving their environment.
Land and sea resources and the environment are closely interrelated and land use, industrial activity, coastal reclamation and other activities affect the quality and availability of coastal land, coastal waters, their ecosystems, the natural landscape and the marine environment. Thus a comprehensive integrated approach to coastal zone management is needed to ensure economic development as well as environmental protection of these areas. This can be achieved only through close co-operation between national, regional and local levels of the governments concerned. Such co-operation requires strong political commitment and consensus at all levels.