The role of NOWPAP in supporting the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda was highlighted at the First Asia-Pacific Ministerial Summit on the Environment organized by UN Environment and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok from 5 to 8 September with the theme, ‘Towards a Resource-efficient and Pollution-free Asia-Pacific.’ During the Summit Special Event titled “Strengthening regional ocean governance and partnership towards clean seas”, NOWPAP Senior Coordinator Lev NERETIN made a presentation on how the Regional Seas Programme contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 (sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources).
Another presentation at the Special Event saw the teenage sister founders of the children’s social initiative, Bye Bye Plastic Bags explaining their campaign to rid Bali, Indonesia of plastic bags. The duo and described their work in raising community awareness and rewarding local businesses that have created plastic bag-free zones. Other presentations included the Pacific Island Forum’s Pacific Oceanscape Framework, shipping regulations in Singapore, national campaigns against plastic litter in the Maldives and recycling by global brand furniture maker IKEA. The observation by the Minister of Environment and Water Resources of Singapore that 8 out of the top 10 countries contributing to marine litter pollution are in Asia, reminded the Summit of the importance of tackling marine environment issues in the NOWPAP region.
The Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Development for Asia and the Pacific adopted by the Summit emphasized prioritization of regional and subregional cooperation in natural resource management, facilitation of knowledge exchange and support for evidence-based policies, among others. The Ministerial Declaration will be submitted to the third meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-3) in December 2017.
Among the five resolutions submitted to the Summit was one on marine litter and microplastics, issues on which NOWPAP is working.
