Introduction The Asia-Pacific region has often been described in superlative terms. On the Asian side of the Pacific Rim alone can be found the world most populous nation with the fastest growing economy (China), the world second most important economic and trading nation (Japan), the largest archipelagic nation both in terms of physical and population size (Indonesia), and the world's smallest continent (Australia). Asia Pacific is also rich in natural resources, both on land and at seas, and despite the recent economic crisis it is also the most dynamic economic region in the world, enjoying generally high economic growth, while almost two-thirds of the global trade take place among Asia-Pacific countries. Asia Pacific is also a region with a high degree of complexity. All the major world religions and civilizations can be found here, making this area the most culturally heterogenous in the world. At the same time different historical experiences, political systems and level of economic development further complicate an already complex regional dynamics. Although in the past decade the region has on the whole been relatively peaceful and stable, with no major international conflicts breaking out, the existence of undercurrent historical animosities and traditional rivalries between certain regional members, as well as the great number of unresolved territorial disputes and bilateral differences, has made Asia Pacific a highly volatile area. In view of these facts, it is therefore not surprising that this area is also one of the most militarized regions in the world, where the end of the Cold War saw a general increase in defence spending, only briefly interrupted in some countries by the onset of the economic crisis. Nevertheless, the potential for conflicts has to some extent been mitigated by the common desire to achieve prosperity, thus making it necessary for countries in the region to engage in some forms of cooperation to promote trade, and maintain a stable and peaceful regional environment within which economic activities can flourish. Regional cooperation, however, is a relatively recent phenomenon in Asia Pacific and its degree of institutionalization is still limited, with the possible exception of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which to date is regarded as the most successful regional organization after the European Union. Even ASEAN, however, is still a relatively loose regional organization compared to the European Union, particularly in the area of security, while Northeast Asia has so far been unable to establish its own sub-regional body. Asia Pacific has no region-wide and binding security arrangement equivalent to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) or a collective defence pact like NATO. The region's great diversity and underlying mutual distrusts, despite the plethora of bilateral and regional cooperation initiatives, have made security cooperation much more difficult to carry out. All of the above facts need to be borne in mind when we talk about resource issues and ocean governance in Asia Pacific. Besides its other characteristics already mentioned earlier, Asia Pacific is basically defined as a maritime region. Most of the important international relations take place across the oceans and the seas, including trade, and most of the potential conflicts are also maritime in nature. Moreover, population pressure and dwindling resources on land have increasingly forced mankind to seek sustenance in the oceans and the seas, regarded as the last frontiers to be exploited, not least in the Asia-Pacific region. Preventing and resolving conflicts over marine resource exploitation, as well as ensuring its sustainable exploitation and equitable benefits among the various stakeholders are some of the challenges facing this region. Resource Problems and Management As mentioned earlier the oceans and the seas are regarded as the last major frontiers on earth to be exploited, to fill mankind's insatiable appetite for natural resources. …