News

Implementing the decisions of the 10th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM), the four Regional Activity Centres (RACs) of NOWPAP have recently convened their Focal Points Meetings. The detailed work plan for the 2006-2007 biennium has been developed by each RAC.

As one of the important steps in implementing the NOWPAP Marine Litter Activity, the 1st NOWPAP Workshop on Marine Litter was held on 8-9 June 2006 in Incheon, the Republic of Korea, with kind sponsorship from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Incheon Metropolitan City. The workshop brought together participants from all NOWPAP member states, UNEP Regional Seas Programme, International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), UNDP/GEF Project on Reducing Environment Stress in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME), as wel

NOWPAP has been actively participating in the creation of Yellow Sea Partnership initiated by the YSLME project earlier this year. This partnership is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of members’ environmental conservation activities, building up awareness of the problems faced by the Yellow Sea ecosystem and seeking support from all sectors for solving the problems.

The 10th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting had been held successfully in Toyama, Japan on 24-26 November 2005.  36 participants from NOWPAP member states, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), NOWPAP Regional Activity Centres (RACs) and Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) attended the meeting.

The NOWPAP Intersessional Workshop was held on 25-26 July 2005 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. As decided at the 9th Intergovernmental Meeting (9th IGM, Busan, Republic of Korea, 2004), the Intersessional Workshop was attended by high level NOWPAP representatives who discussed a number of issues ranging from new directions of work for the NOWPAP Regional Activity Centers and initiation of the marine litter activity to the sustainable contributions to the NOWPAP Trust Fund.

Seeking cooperation with other international players in the Asia-Pacific region for the protection and sustainable use of marine and coastal environment and resources, NOWPAP is building a partnership with YSLME project in which NOWPAP member states China and Korea participate. Both sides realize that there are potential areas where NOWPAP and YSLME project could contribute and complement each other during the course of the implementation of their activities. At the initial stage, NOWPAP has been invited for meetings and workshops convened by YSLME project to share and exchange information.

NOWPAP has developed a cooperative relationship with PEMSEA since NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit became operational in April 2005. Beginning with information exchange from both sides, NOWPAP has been introduced by PEMSEA in its on-line electronic newsletter and was invited as a member of the Advisory Committee of PEMSEA East Asian Seas Congress to be convened on 12-16 December 2006 in Beijing, People’s Republic of China.