On 27-31 March 2017, Dr. LIU Ning presented NOWPAP’s work on marine litter at the Workshop on Marine Litter and Microplastics: Measuring Effectiveness and Identifying Gaps within International and Regional Policy Frameworks organized by the UN Environment in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Liu introduced the NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, and the progress achieved by the NOWPAP member states and Regional Activity Centers addressing the issue of marine litter. He also briefed meeting participants about the approaches of waste management in the NOWPAP region, and how Regional Seas Program could cooperate with chemicals and waste related Conventions to address plastic waste issue. The workshop was organized by the Ecosystems Division of the UN Environment, and attended by Secretariats of Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, International Maritime Organization, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, University of Wollongong, Istanbul Bilgi University, and the UN Environment. Participants discussed the effectiveness, gaps and opportunities of relevant international, regional, sub-regional and national frameworks addressing marine litter, and explored emerging governance and strategy options. Participants also discussed sources/sectors and geographical areas that are not covered or included in any existing instruments and that are essential to consider in the future governance frameworks. The workshop was part of the assessment of the effectiveness of governance strategies and approaches to combat marine plastic litter and microplastics. The recommendations will be presented to the Third United Nations Environment Assembly in December 2017. Exhibition made of plastics bottles at the UN Campus in Nairobi.
Implementation of NOWPAP contributes to the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) in the Northwest Pacific region.