16th NOWPAP IGM held in Beijing

The 16th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) was held on 20-22 December 2011 in Beijing. Representatives of member states, NOWPAP Regional Activity Centers and partners as well as UNEP headquarters, participated in the annual meeting which approved the NOWPAP work plan and budget for 2012-2013, including the implementation of NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter. In addition, the meeting adopted the revised Term of Reference for the NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit and the Guidance on improving the quality of NOWPAP technical reports. While appreciating the Russian Government efforts for the increased contribution to the NOWPAP Trust Fund made in 2011, the meeting encouraged all member states to increase their annual contributions in 2012-2013. Considering the future financial situation of NOWPAP, the Korean Government will revise the document which they drafted earlier, and submit it to the 17th NOWPAP IGM for consideration. With regard to the NOWPAP Medium-term Strategy 2012-2017, the meeting decided to finalize it in January-February 2012 to reflect the member states comments. When approved, the strategy will set future direction for NOWPAP development.