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Toyoma, Japan, 21 December  2017 – Four northwest Pacific nations meeting here for a yearly review of over two-decade-old joint efforts tackling environmental threats to their seas and shores, have agreed on the principles of an updated marine and coastal conservation strategy for one of the world’s most populous regions.

Toyama Prefecture of Japan jointly with the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center organized an international environment symposium entitled "Productive sea and marine environmental conservation" on 21 December 2017 in Toyama, Japan. Toyama Prefecture Governor Mr. Takakazu Ishii made an opening remarks followed by the Director of the Asia and the Pacific Office of the UN Environment, Dr. Dechen Tsering.

The clear blue seawater and white sand make Mallipo Beach in the Republic of Korea’s western coastal Taean County along the Yellow Sea, one of the country’s most popular seaside resorts.

But for nearly a year during 2007-2008, the over 3 km-long Mallipo seashore was covered by a black sludge after the crude oil carrier Hebei Spirit anchored off nearby Daesan Port was accidentally hit by an industrial barge on the morning of 07 December 2007 and leaked over 12,000 kilolitres of its cargo.

 6 December 2017, Busan. More than 250 experts from P.R. China, Japan, Russian Federation, USA, Canada, and R. Korea have gathered at the 2017 International Maritime Disaster Response Conference in Busan, Korea to explore new measures on addressing maritime emergencies caused by pollution incidents.

4-6 December 2017, Nairobi, Kenya. Attended by over 4000 personnel working on environmental issues, the 3rd session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-3) focused on the theme “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet” and successfully became the first UNEA to issue a Declaration by environmental ministers. The Declaration stated that nations would honor efforts to prevent, mitigate and manage all forms of pollution.

The UN Environment Assembly, the world’s highest level decision-making body on the environment to be held in Nairobi from 4 to 6 December 2017, aims to mobilize global tangible commitments to tackle pollution. Everyone can do something about pollution. Citizens can join by committing to an action and signing the #BeatPollution pledge. Governments, businesses and civil society can register voluntary commitments. Learn more about pollution here.    

20-24 November 2017, the Philippines. PEMSEA Resource Facility and NOWPAP are co-organizers of the Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) training course in Manila and Batangas, Philippines, aimed at mid-career professionals working in the field. 15 participants from PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers and 4 participants from NOWPAP POMRAC will learn how to deliver effective ICM training courses on the ground in their countries. The course covers the basic principles of ICM development and implementation, includes case studies and fieldwork culminating in formulation of ICM action plans.

On October 17th and 18th 2017, NOWPAP attended the Global Dialogue on Technology for Resilient Cities organized by the UN Environment International Environment Technology Centre in Osaka, Japan. Over 100 participants including city/state/ministerial officials from Asia, international organizations, NGOs, and universities attended the dialogue to explore how technologies can contribute to urban resilience against environmental impacts, especially on waste issues.

With the confirmed full contribution from the People’s Republic of China, the NOWPAP Trust Fund has reached the 100 percent replenishment level in 2017. The NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit and its Regional Activity Centres express their gratitude to Member States and NOWPAP global and regional partners for their continued support to the NOWPAP mission. The NOWPAP family continues its over 20-year-old journey, providing a platform for successful intraregional cooperation and dialogue aimed at the protection of the marine and coastal environment in the Northwest Pacific region.

NOWPAP was actively involved in the 2017 Annual Meeting of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) held in Vladivostok, Russia from 22 September to 1 October. More than 300 scientists and experts from PICES member countries and elsewhere attended the meeting “Environmental Changes in the North Pacific and Impacts on Biological Resources and Ecosystem Services.”

Three POMRAC publications won the 2017 Best Scientific Books Award under the category of scientific publications on environmental issues in the Northwest Pacific. The first publication, Regional Overview of PTS and POPs issues of ecological concern in the NOWPAP region deals with PTS sources, temporal trends, eco-toxicological effects and the status of regulatory frameworks. The second publication, Integrated Coastal Planning and Ecosystem-based Management in the Northwest Pacific Region, includes case studies from bays in the NOWPAP region.

The 2017 Joint NOWPAP-TEMM (The Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among Japan, China and Korea) Workshop on Marine Litter Management and the 2017 NOWPAP International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Campaign were held in Toyama, Japan on 19 and 20 September with presentations on marine litter management and microplastics by the four NOWPAP Member States. Presentations on local and global-level initiatives to address the marine litter problem were also made by a Japanese NGO and NOWPAP partners including UN Environment International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC), FAO and YSLME.

The cloudy morning of 11 September saw NOWPAP staff joining a class of fourth grade students, their teachers, members of the local senior people’s club and Toyama Prefecture government staff on Matsudaehama Beach, Toyama to remove and classify beach litter. Participants in the Marine Litter Survey, conducted by NPEC (Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center), collected artificial objects from designated square patches of 10 x 10 m, and weighed and sorted the trash into categories.

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 contri

On 7 September, NOWPAP took part in the Opening Ceremony of the World Fisheries University (WFU) Pilot Programme at Pukyong National University in Busan.

WFU is a postgraduate institution and admits students from developing countries and small island nations to foster national capacities for sustainable fisheries development. The WFU Pilot Programme offers a master’s degree in three semesters. Thirty students have joined the inaugural course. The acceptability of the establishment of WFU will be determined by the FAO General Assembly in 2019.

On 29-30 August, over 20 delegates from the NOWPAP member states (China, Japan, Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation) including CEARAC Focal Points, experts and representatives of the four Regional Activity Centres (RACs), met in Toyama, Japan to review CEARAC activities for the 2016-2017 biennium and discussed the Centre’s workplan and budget for the 2018-2019 biennium. 

During the second week of August, NOWPAP had the opportunity to brief the leaders of tomorrow in the Republic of Korea about its work to protect the Northwest Pacific coastal and marine environment for future generations.

At the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), NOWPAP joined the 2017 Caspian Sea Day celebration held on 10 and 11 August in Astrakhan, Russia. One of the most significant events in the international environmental cooperation calendar, Caspian Sea Day 2017 was sponsored by the Administration of the Astrakhan Oblast, MNRE, PJSC “LUKOIL” and the Interim Tehran Convention Secretariat.

The First International Workshop on Assessment of Seagrass Distribution in the NOWPAP region was organized in Himi city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan on 3 August. Some 30 researchers from NOWPAP member countries and beyond, Toyama-based scientists, local government officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on seagrass conservation, took part in the workshop. Keynote speeches at the workshop included one titled “Carbon Storage Potential of Blue Forest: prospects for developing blue carbon initiatives in the NOWPAP region” by Dr.

NOWPAP participated in the launch of the Second Phase of the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) Project in Seoul in July. The Inception Ceremony of the Second Phase of the Project, which is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the First Meeting of the Project’s Management, Science and Technical Panel and the First Meeting of the Interim Commission Council (ICC), took place in the Republic of Korea’s capital during 11-13 July.

3 July was International Plastic Bag Free Day. Each year, more than 8 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans, wreaking havoc on marine wildlife, fisheries and tourism, and costing at least $8 billion in damage to marine ecosystems. In the documentary movie, A Plastic Whale you will be astonished by the number of plastic bags contained in a whale’s stomach.

18 June 2017, Busan. NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) and NOWPAP Pollution Monitoring Regional Activity Center (POMRAC) presented NOWPAP’s work on marine litter during the capacity building workshop for marine debris prevention and management in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region. The workshop was organized by APEC, Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation (KOEM) and Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fishers in Yeosu, Korea on 12th -18th June 2017.

Toyama, 18 June 2017. Annual event organized by the Toyama Prefectural Government focused on a theme on local actions for environment conservation "Eco Life Act" was held in the center of Toyama City, Japan. NOWPAP Senior Coordinator was invited as a guest speaker and talked about the importance of sustainable development goals and local action along with the Governor of Toyama Prefecture, Mr. Ishii.

Global Ocean Conference ends with about 1400 voluntary and action-oriented commitments putting oceans in the center of sustainable development agenda June 10th, 2017, New York.

June 5th, 2017. Toyama, Japan/Busan, Republic of Korea: Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme puts forward voluntary commitment of the UN Ocean Conference to strengthen regional cooperation to achieve ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals.