NOWPAP at the East Asian Seas Congress, and Plans for 2016-2017

The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP) made important contributions to the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress in Da Nang, Vietnam, held 16-20 November 2015. As a PEMSEA Non-Country Partner, NOWPAP participated in a number of important meetings, workshops and special events at the Congress, including the East Asian Seas Partnership Council meeting and Ministerial Forum of PEMSEA member states. NOWPAP also set up an exhibit booth to showcase its activities to an international audience through posters, publications and promotional items.

One of the key outputs of the EAS Congress was the approval of an updated Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) with strategic targets for 2016-2021. With new targets in place, NOWPAP will support PEMSEA in its implementation of the SDS-SEA. PEMSEA and NOWPAP look forward to several collaborative activities, such as a joint training course on Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) and the integration of NOWPAP’s databases into PEMSEA’s regional knowledge management platform.

Currently in the process of finalizing small scale funding agreements (SSFAs) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit, NOWPAP is gearing up for the implementation of its 2016-2017 NOWPAP Programme of Work. Once the SSFAs are finalized, funding will be provided for the NOWPAP Regional Activity Centers to implement their projects and activities.

In the first quarter of 2016, NOWPAP has already delivered several lectures and contributed to panel discussions and workshops, including:

• Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML)
• Fostering Academy of Global Environmental Leaders
• 20th Senior Officials Meeting of the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC)
• Sixteenth Session of the IOC/WESTPAC Coordinating Committee for the North-East Asian Regional-Global Ocean Observing System (NEAR-GOOS-CC-XVI)
• Global Partnership on Waste Management (GPWM)

At the end of February, NOWPAP also saw the departure of Deputy Coordinator Mr. Xiaodong Zhong. Mr. Zhong leaves the organization after 11 years of devoted service to building partnerships, raising awareness and managing one of two offices of the NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU).

Click here to learn more about NOWPAPs plans and recent activities.