The Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) further explored possibilities of the cooperation with the East Asian countries in the field of marine environmental protection at the 12th East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council virtual Meeting on July 22, 2020.
The meeting discussed a mid-term review of the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), the organization of the East Asian Seas Congress in 2021, as well as further partnership building efforts.
As an invited long-term partner, NOWPAP used this opportunity to highlight its enthusiasm for establishing further synergies with PEMSEA in marine environmental protection. NOWPAP has also confirmed its focuses for the 2020-2021 biennium, as approved by the NOWPAP Member States. The key areas of interest included ecosystem-based integrated coastal and river basin management, marine and coastal environment assessment, pollution prevention and reduction, and biodiversity conservation. Specifically, NOWPAP hopes to strengthen cooperation in the field of the Ecosystem-Based Integrated Coastal and River Basin Management with PEMSEA. It is believed that the continued synergetic approach of these major inter-governmental platforms in the region supports all countries to adequately focus on regional priorities. At the same time, the joint effort will effectively support the obligations of the countries to regional and global mechanisms, such as SDGs and SDG targets, as well as goals and objectives of several Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
