NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) was established by the decision of the Fourth NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) in 1999 “to ensure the integrated and well-managed execution from within the region of projects under the Action Plan” and to function as a secretariat for NOWPAP. At the Sixth Intergovernmental Meeting in 2000, the NOWPAP Members agreed in principle to establish a co-hosted NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) in Toyama, Japan, and in Busan, Republic of Korea. The RCU Toyama and Busan Offices were established in November 2004.
The RCU is the nerve center directing and promoting the NOWPAP activities. It has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the NOWPAP Members' decisions regarding the operation of the Action Plan. The RCU maintains close contacts with and supports the work of the Regional Activity Centers (RACs). Establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with other international organizations is also an important mission of the RCU. At the request of NOWPAP Member States, RCU was established by UNEP with the staff being employees of the United Nations.
Revised Terms of Reference of the NOWPAP RCU approved by the Twenty-Second NOWPAP IGM in 2017 are available here.
