The South China Sea is a strategic body of water surrounded by nations that are currently at the helm of industrialization and rapid economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. The South China Sea has always been central to issues of economic and political stability in Southeast Asia and adjacent regions. The South China Sea is also a global center of shallow water tropical marine biodiversity and is central to defining environmental sustainability and food security in the region. Coastal communities of the South China Sea’s riparian states are, however, at the highest risk globally from the impacts of increasing rates of coastal and marine environmental degradation. The Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea, endorsed at the inter-governmental level, represents the only agreed common vision among the participating countries on targets and actions for reversing environmental degradation trends in the South China Sea. The following short film outlines the process of Strategic Action Programme formulation and importantly the contribution its implementation will make to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.