The Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) co-organized a Technical Session titled “Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Global Action on Marine Litter in the East Asian Seas and Northwest Pacific’ on 20 September 2022 at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference.
Countries in the East Asian Seas and Northwest Pacific region contribute to the use and waste of plastics. Many countries in the region are recipients of waste and vulnerable to pollution. COBSEA and NOWPAP have implemented Regional Action Plans on Marine Litter for more than a decade to assist countries in preventing, monitoring, and removing marine litter in the region, however, strengthened cooperation is urgently needed to fight against increased marine litter pollution.
The technical session explored how the existing regional mechanisms can be leveraged to strengthen partnerships and cooperation toward tackling marine litter globally. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) updated the role of Regional Seas and global actions to address the adverse impacts of marine litter. The Korea Maritime Institute and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization presented improvement of governance and harmonized approach to monitoring marine litter. Governmental officials from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam have shared their insights in a moderated discussion. They have discussed how to address challenges in interagency coordination, how to further improve and harmonize robust monitoring for evidence-based action, and how COBSEA and NOWPAP contribute to strengthening regional cooperation and developing a new global legally binding instrument on plastics and marine litter.
The Technical Session was held in a hybrid way. More than 40 participants attended it in person. Some 20 participants joined online.
An exhibition booth on the marine litter of UNEP Regional Seas was set up at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference. The Secretariat of Regional Seas, COBSEA, NOWPAP, Abidjan Convention, and Caribbean Convention have highlighted their achievements in addressing marine litter in the exhibition.
The 7th International Marine Debris Conference was held in Busan, the Republic of Korea, from 18 to 23 September 2022. Around 1000 participants from across the world attended the conference. One hundred ten technical sessions have updated progress in various aspects of addressing marine debris.
