The 22nd Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans was held in a hybrid format on 25-27 May 2022 in Mahé, Seychelles. Eighteen Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, including NOWPAP and global Multilateral Environmental Agreements representatives, attended the meeting.
The meeting was opened by Ms. Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division of UNEP, Mr. Flavien Joubert, Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Seychelles, and Mr. Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. Ms. Gardner highlighted that the meeting provided an opportunity for Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans to exchange views on how to strengthen ocean governance, including contributions to biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), blue economy, the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the CBD, and the UN decade of Ocean Science.
The meeting kicked off the implementation of Regional Seas Strategic Directions 2022 – 2025, which envisages securing diverse, resilient, and productive marine and coastal ecosystems, support assessment, information and knowledge management and science-policy dialogue on marine and coastal issues, and increased reach and mainstreaming of the Regional Seas Programme.
The meeting has also discussed the implementation of the resolutions endorsed by the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) relevant to the marine and coastal environment, including an international legally binding instrument on plastics, sustainable Nitrogen Management, nature-based solutions for supporting Sustainable development, sound Management of Chemicals and waste, science-Policy Panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution.
The participants also brainstormed issues on ocean governance, including the participation in the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in June/July 2022, Blue/Ocean-based economies, and Marine Regions Forum conference for 2023.
NOWPAP contributed to the meeting remotely and reported the progress of implementing the Northwest Pacific Action Plan at the meeting.
