Representatives of NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit and Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre joined more than 400 participants from all over the world at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference held on 20-25 March 2011 in Hawaii. Co-organized by US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and UNEP, the meeting produced two important documents: the Honolulu Commitment and Honolulu Strategy for the prevention, reduction and management of marine debris.
NOWPAP, along with several other Regional Seas programs (OSPAR, COBSEA, Caribbean and SPREP), has contributed to the success of the event through actively participating in the development of the Honolulu Strategy during and prior to the meeting as well as introducing NOWPAP efforts in the fight against marine litter in the region. It is expected that the Honolulu Commitment and Strategy will be reflected in the implementation of the NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter in the future. NGO partners of NOWPAP, such as JEAN in Japan and OSEAN in the Republic Korea, also presented their respective activities in organizing and promoting the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) campaigns in the region, contributing to the implementation of the NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter.
The conference provided a good opportunity for NOWPAP for further networking with other major players, including UNEP, Ocean Conservancy and NOAA.
