NOWPAP convened its first Extraordinary Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) on 9-10 April 2014 in Seoul, Republic of Korea to discuss possible measures to address financial sustainability of the NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) offices in Toyama and Busan. Representatives of member states (China, Korea, Japan and Russia) as well as UNEP Headquarters attended the two-day special meeting which was requested by the chairperson of the 18th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting. As the resolutions of the 18th IGM have been adopted by the member states through correspondence, approving the 2014-2015 NOWPAP programme of work, the extraordinary IGM focused on the issue of RCU restructuring aiming to keep the staffing costs within the current contributions of two RCU host countries (Japan and Korea). After intensive discussions, the meeting has decided to reduce the total number of RCU UNEP staff members to four. The functions of the new posts for the two RCU offices will be discussed at next ordinary IGM which is scheduled for late 2014 in Russia.
