News

UNEP 2013 Administrative Management Meeting was held on 16-19 September 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted jointly by UNEP and UNON. This biennial meeting addressed introduction of the new accounting standard, IPSAS (from January 2014), and launch of the new Enterprise Resource Planning system, Umoja (expected in summer 2014). The meeting also covered various issues of finance, legal instruments, human resources, procurement, travel policies, and others.

NOWPAP Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre (CEARAC) organized the Expert Meeting on Marine Biodiversity and Eutrophication on 5-6 August 2013 in Toyama, Japan. Experts from NOWPAP member states (China, Korea, Japan and Russia) together with representatives from the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) and Japan Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF) participated in the meeting.

NOWPAP Data and Information Network Regional Activity Center (DINRAC) held its 11th Focal Points Meeting on 24-25 July 2013 in Beijing, China. The goals of this meeting were to review ongoing projects, discuss suggested activities for 2014-2015 and agree on the work plan and budget for the 2014-2015 biennium (to be approved by the 18th NOWPAP IGM in December 2013). Among other issues, compilation of major marine environmental data on DINRAC website and preparation of an Atlas on marine invasive species were discussed in detail (Atlas is expected to be published at the end of 2013).

As a non-country member of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council, NOWPAP representative attended the 5th EAS Partnership Council Meeting on 9-10 July 2013 in Manila, Philippines and delivered a presentation summarizing the current NOWPAP activities contributing to the 5-year implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia.

NOWPAP Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC) held its 16th Focal Points Meeting and the 8th Competent National Authority Meeting on 17-21 June 2013 in Incheon, Republic of Korea.  The meeting reviewed MERRAC activities being implemented since May 2012 and discussed the work plan and budget for 2014-2015 which will be submitted for approval to the 18th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting to be held in December 2013.

NOWPAP participated in the Global Gathering 2013 in Busan, Republic of Korea, displaying UNEP and NOWPAP posters, brochures, publications and promotional items to the public on 25 May 2013. This annual event with the theme of “come together, get together”, organized by the Busan Foundation for International Activities with support of Busan metropolitan city has brought diplomatic missions, international organizations, academic, cultural and social institutions based in Busan to showcase their activities for promoting international exchanges.

At the 18th Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) of the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) held on 10-12 April 2013 in Kobe, Japan, a proposal submitted by Okinawa Ocean Culture & Environment Action Network in collaboration with NOWPAP on promoting International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) was accepted for funding. Taking advantage of generous contribution from the Japanese government as well as APN funding, the 2013 NOWPAP ICC and Workshop on Marine Litter Management will be organized in Okinawa, Japan on 24-26 October 2013.

NOWPAP representative attended the Forum on 14-15 March in Tokyo which was organized by JEAN (Japan Environmental Action Network).

NOWPAP and NEASPEC jointly organized the Workshop on Marine Biodiversity Conservation and Marine Protected Areas in the Northwest Pacific on 13-14 March 2013 in Toyama, Japan. The workshop brought together focal points and experts from both NOWPAP and NEASPEC member states of People’s Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea and Russian Federation as well as representatives from international organizations: Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) and IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC WESTPAC). The first day of the workshop was focused on

The North Pacific Regional Workshop to Facilitate the Description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) was convened by the Convention of Biological Diversity Secretariat in Moscow, Russia, from 25 February to 1 March 2013 in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP), the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), and the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC).

NOWPAP is pleased to announce that the Chinese Government has decided to increase its annual contribution to the NOWPAP Trust Fund to USD 100,000 from the current level of USD 40,000. In this connection, NOWPAP is one step forward in reaching the target amount of half a million dollars which was set up by member states. With the increased contribution, NOWPAP is able to support more activities agreed upon by the member states.

NOWPAP representatives attended the workshop held in Seoul on 23 January 2013 where the issue of marine environmental cooperation among several projects and programmes in the East Asia was discussed. This workshop was organized by the Center for Climate and Sustainable Development Law and Policy, Korea University, with the support of Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology. The outcomes of this workshop are expected to be presented to the “transition committee” of the newly elected ROK President.

NOWPAP representative paid a courtesy call on the Toyama Prefectural Government on 16 January 2013 to deliver the New Year greetings and sincere thanks for the support offered by the host government to NOWPAP office in Toyama. It was learned that the Prefectural Government is planning to have a symposium back to back with the 18th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting in December 2013 for which it is also the host.

Invited as an observer, NOWPAP representative attended the 17th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of the North-East Asian Sub-regional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC) held on 20-21 December 2012 in Chengdu, China.

NOWPAP representatives attended the Global Partnership on Waste Management (GPWM) Biennium Conference held in Osaka, Japan on 5-6 November 2012. Launched two years ago, GPWM is focusing on six focal areas: waste and climate change, marine litter, waste agriculture biomass, waste minimization, e-waste, and integrated solid waste management. Among the six focal areas, NOWPAP is interested in marine litter as it is also one of its priorities identified by member states.

NOWPAP participated in the Toyama International Exchange Festival on 11 November 2012 and set up a booth to introduce NOWPAP and its activities. This annual event attracted several hundred foreigners living in Toyama as well as local people who could learn and experience the different cultures.

The 17th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) was held in Jeju (Korea) on 1-2 November 2012. All NOWPAP member states (China, Japan, Korea and Russia) were represented as well as for NOWPAP Regional Activity Centers (RACs) and four major partners (PEMSEA, PICES, WESTPAC and YSLME).

PICES 2012 Annual Meeting was held in Hiroshima, Japan on 12-21 October 2012. During the meeting, NOWPAP representatives attended several sessions, workshops, committee and working group meetings of interest to NOWPAP: marine invasive species, harmful algal blooms (HAB), persistent organic pollutants, etc.

NOWPAP participated in two local public events in October 2012: the Global Gathering in Busan, Republic of Korea and the Toyama Environmental Fair in Toyama, Japan where NOWPAP promotional items were displayed and distributed. The Global Gathering brought diplomatic missions, international organizations, academic, cultural and social institutions based in Busan to showcase their activities for promoting international exchanges.

Joining colleagues from the Regional Seas Programme around the world, NOWPAP representative participated in the annual gathering of the 14th Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans on 1-3 October 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting focused on the ecosystem approach which helps the implementation of the Region Seas Conventions and Action Plans, and the possible contribution of Regional Seas Programme to the world oceans assessment (Regular Process).

The Regional Scientific and Technical Capacity Building Workshop on the World Ocean Assessment (WOA), contributing to the UN Regular Process, was held on 17-19 September 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. Workshop was co-organized by COBSEA, NOWPAP, IOC WESTPAC and GRID Arendal with financial support provided by UNEP, IOC WESTPAC and Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN).

NOWPAP representative attended the Marine Litter Summit on 25-26 August 2012 in Kameoka city of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan where participants from environmental NGOs, central and local governments discussed ways of dealing with marine litter in Japan and in the region. The summit was organized by the Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN) along with a river bank cleanup sponsored by local government, industry and citizen groups. The river bank cleanup campaign was organized the day before the Summit at Hozugawa River, in which 100 people participated.

The Oceans Compact, an initiative to strengthen United Nations system-wide coherence to deliver on its oceans-related mandates was launched by the UN Secretary General in Yeosu City on 12 August 2012, the closing day for the 2012 Yeosu Expo. Representative of NOWPAP RCU, along with other UN agencies in Korea, participated in the closing ceremony. During the last days of Yeosu Expo, several important events were also held such as exhibition of UNEP, FAO and IMO in the UN Pavilion.

In conjunction with the 4th Northeast Asia Region Youth Environmental Program sponsored by the Toyama Prefectural Government, a special lecture on NOWPAP and its activities was delivered to local school students by the NOWPAP Deputy Coordinator on 19 August 2012.

As part of the implementation of the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, NOWPAP organized the 2012 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and Marine Litter Workshop on 17-18 July in Vladivostok, Russia. NOWPAP Marine Litter Focal Points, ICC national coordinators, representatives of Regional Activity Centres and Regional Coordinating Unit as well as several Tokyo University students participated in the beach cleanup and the workshop.