May 11th, 2018, Seoul, R. Korea: Together with other regional partners (Yellow Sea LME Phase II project, PEMSEA, and East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership) and national stakeholders in R. Korea, NOWPAP (also on behalf of UNEP) delivered a keynote presentation and contributed to the identification of priorities for maritime cooperation between two Koreas at the Regional Workshop on Putting Sustainable Marine and Coastal Ecosystems into Inter-Korean Cooperation. The Workshop organized by the R. Korea National Assembly and Korea Maritime Institute was attended by over 150 participants from public and private sector. It provided ample opportunities to discuss past, ongoing and potential future initiatives to support sustainable development of the coastal and marine environment in seas surrounding two Koreas (also falling into the geographic coverage of NOWPAP). The main sentiment among participants who spoke at the meeting was the importance of integrating marine environmental protection and sustainable maritime development into future inter-Korean development cooperation framework. Learning from lessons of the past, high risks to the environment and society from intensive development pressures should be recognized and internalized through the promotion of environmentally sustainable practices and technologies. The important role of international organizations in the future, including UNEP and NOWPAP, as impartial brokers and knowledge partners was mentioned by some participants. In his address, NOWPAP Coordinator argued for including the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14 focused on oceans, as a crucial element of potential bilateral and international cooperation framework with North Korea. Some of his proposals included focusing on the joint development of DPRK’s Blue Growth Coastal Strategy/Master Plan that should consider, inter alia, blue growth strategic investment projects targeting as a first priority transboundary issues (migratory species, sustainable fisheries, and pollution reduction).
Participants at the meeting
