Events

Date: March 1-3

Location: Bangkok, Thailand and Online

Venue: United Nations Conference Center

COBSEA will host a workshop in collaboration with Blue Solutions Initiative to discuss draft findings of a marine and coastal spatial planning (MCSP) policy review currently under development. 

The virtual workshop will take place Thursday 20 May 14.00-16.00 ICT using MS Teams. 

COBSEA countries are invited to provide country presentations, which may include views on the draft study as well as views on possible MCSP-relevant future actions through COBSEA. 

A desk review is being carried out in order to compile available information on the main sources and impacts of nutrient pollution in the coastal and marine environment; prevention and reduction commitments, targets and measures; and related monitoring and assessment in COBSEA countries. This may be used by COBSEA countries to inform development and implementation of actions addressing nutrient pollution. The study is conducted in collaboration with the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM), with funding from the Ministry of Environment, Sweden. 

The regional training workshop is organized jointly with the Blue Solutions Initiative (a partnership between UNEP, GIZ, GRID-Arendal and IUCN, funded by the German Ministry of Environment) to advance marine and coastal spatial planning in the East Asian Seas region. The training will use interactive practical exercises to examine different elements of an ecosystem-based marine and coastal spatial planning process, in particular for protecting blue economy assets and their climate resilience.

The Regional Workshop on COBSEA Follow-up and Review of Ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals was held from 11-12 December 2019 in Manila, Philippines. The workshop was organized by COBSEA in collaboration with the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources to guide the Secretariat in the finalization of the COBSEA SDG Outlook document based on national reviews and consultations, for consideration at the 25th Intergovernmental Meeting of COBSEA.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) held a Regional Policy Dialogue on “Harnessing the sustainable ocean economy in South East Asia” as part of its work to support partner countries in the region. The Dialogue was held on 3-4 December in Bali, Indonesia and co-hosted with the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investments of Indonesia, in co-operation with COBSEA. The Dialogue provided an opportunity to exchange on policy challenges and solutions to promote a sustainable ocean economy in South East Asia.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Programme of Action (GPA), Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) convened a workshop to present and promote a national source inventory approach in national marine litter planning and monitoring. The workshop was organized in the context of the COBSEA Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI) and the COBSEA-UNEP SEA circular initiative following the SEA of Solutions partnership week on plastic pollution prevention.

The Training of Trainers on Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics held on 9-13 September 2019 in Bali, Indonesia, was organized by the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) and the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA), co-hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia and the Regional Capacity Center on Clean Seas (RC3S) and implemented in partnership with Universita