The Regional Workshop on Partnerships in the Application of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) was held in Burapha University, Bangsaen, Chonburi, Thailand, from 12 to 14 November 1997. The workshop extended the experience gained and lessons learned from integrated coastal management (ICM) demonstration projects in Batangas Bay, Philippines and Xiamen, People’s Republic of China, promoted regional networking of local governments operating ICM programs, and fostered partnerships among organizations implementing ICM programs.

The workshop was organized by the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/International Maritime Organization (IMO) Regional Programme for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas (MPP-EAS), based in the Philippines, in collaboration with Burapha University. The meeting was sponsored by the MPP-EAS. About eight local governments, local institutions and government agencies co-hosted the workshop. The workshop was attended by around 120 participants and observers from the East Asian Seas Region including Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, consisting primarily of government officials, university professors and individuals from the private sector. There were also representatives from the Wetlands International Asia-Pacific; IUCN (the World Conservation Union); the International Oceanographic Commission; the Food and Agriculture Organization; and coastal resource management projects in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Republic of Korea and Thailand.

The National Workshop on the Ratification and Implementation of MARPOL 73/78 (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as Modified by the Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto) in the Philippines was held at Club Estancia Resort Hotel, Tagaytay City, Philippines, from 9 to 10 June 1997. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) through the Regional Programme for the Management and Prevention of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas (MPP-EAS) organized the workshop with the cooperation of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). There were 27 representatives from the national agencies and industry sectors in attendance.

The Batangas Bay Demonstration Project (BBDP) Evaluation Workshop on Assessing Results and Impacts was held at Alpha Hotel, Batangas City on 24-25 July 1997. This was attended by delegates from national governments offices, local government units, academic institutions, private sectors and non-government organizations. The main objective of the workshop is to review the project activities, evaluate their results, assess their impacts and make recommendations on measures for improvement and extension of demonstrable experience. The workshop is also expected to provide an assessment on the performance of all the project activities both individually and as a whole. The workshop was organized by the Global Environment Facility/United Nations Development Programme/ International Maritime Organization Regional Programme for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas (MPP-EAS) and the Provincial Government of Batangas – Environment and Natural Resources Office (PG-ENRO).

The GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas conducted a national workshop on the Ratification and Implementation of MARPOL 73/78 Convention in the Philippines on 9-10 June 1997. A National Action Plan was developed by the workshop participants who represented the major stakeholders in the Philippine maritime industry. The National Action Plan specifically identified issues and proposed actions to be undertaken by concerned agencies in the ratification and implementation of the MARPOL 73/78 Convention. One of the action items considered as a priority was establishing baseline data on the status of compliance of the Philippine domestic fleet with MARPOL. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was identified as the lead agency for the study. The study revealed that the majority of the domestic merchant fleet have complied with the basic equipment requirements of Annex I. However, with the MARPOL 1992 amendments, which will enter into force on 6 July 1998, the reduced oil content for discharges from machinery spaces to less that 15 ppm will result in a large number of domestic vessels being out of compliance. The study also noted that shore reception facilities were a vital component of the compliance requirements of MARPOL.

The National Workshop on IMO Conventions for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution was held at Meeting Room No. 2, Ministry of Transport, 80-Tran Doa St., Hanoi, from 21 to 22 April 1997, and at Meeting Hall B, Saigon Port, 3 Nguyen Tat Thanh St., District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, from 24 to 25 April 1997. The workshop was co-sponsored by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Viet Nam Bureau of Maritime Affairs (VINAMARINE). Financial support for the workshop was provided by the Government of Norway. Participants from various government offices and agencies attended the two-day workshops, as well as representatives from shipping companies, port authorities, Petrovietnam and the Viet Nam Maritime University. A total of 109 participants attended the sessions. The workshop was co-chaired by Mr. Vuong Dinh Lam, Director, International Cooperation Department, VINAMARINE, and Mr. Adrian Ross, IMO Regional Programme Office, Manila, Philippines.

This publication summarizes the results of the Malacca Straits Consultative Meeting, held at the Tambuli Beach Villa, Cebu, Philippines, from 12 to 13 March 1997. The Meeting was organized by the GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas. The meeting was organized to review the risk assessment report and determine the 1997 work plan follow-on activities for the Malacca Straits Demonstration Project. This publication is a product of the Regional Workshop on Operational Oil Spill Modeling with Special Reference to the Malacca Straits, held in Pusan, RO Korea, from 31 May to 3 June 1996. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), the Republic of Korea, and the Subcommission for the Western Pacific of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (WESTPAC/IOC).

This publication summarizes the Proceedings of the Regional Conference on Sustainable Financing Mechanisms for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution: Public Sector - Private Sector Partnership, held in Manila, Philippines, from 14 to 16 November 1996, the conclusions and recommendations developed and adopted by the gathering, and the technical papers that were presented during the three-day event. The conclusions and recommendations focus on the roles and responsibilities of government, international agencies, donors, investors/lenders, and the private sector for promoting and advancing the environmental industry throughout the East Asian Seas. The GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme was challenged to continue the development and adoption of public sector - private sector partnerships and to demonstrate practical applications of this approach in the East Asian region, particularly at the local level.

The IMO/APCEL/MPA Workshop on the Ratification and Implementation of MARPOL 73/78 was held at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore from 30 October to 1 November 1996. The workshop was co-sponsored by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Asia-Pacific Center for Environmental Law (APCEL) and the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore. Financial support for the workshop was provided by the Government of Norway. Participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam attended. The workshop was co-chaired by Mr. Robert Beckman, APCEL and Mr. Adrian Ross, IMO.