The Council iterated that the EAS Congress 2015 will provide the East Asian Seas region with a timely platform to assess  its contributions and progress in the delivery of key global targets (i.e., Rio Declarations, Millennium Development Goals, etc.) through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). The Congress will also serve as a golden opportunity to further strengthen collaboration within the region and to identify a strategic roadmap and targets beyond 2015 in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).