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The
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine
Environment from Land-Based Activities was adopted on 3
November 1995 by over 100 governments and the European
Commission that attended the Intergovernmental Conference
which met for that purpose in Washington D.C., 23 October -
3 November 1995. Its main objective is to prevent the
degradation of the marine environment from land-based
activities by facilitating the realization of the duty of
States to preserve and protect the marine environment. The
GPA recognizes that effective action and measures will have
to be taken primarily at the regional and national levels
through, respectively, Regional Programmes of Action (RPAs)
and National Programmes of Action (NPAs).
In
recognition of the fact that land-based activities account
for over 80% of coastal and marine pollution, threatening
the biodiversity and sustainability of strategic resources,
and thus the livelihood and food security of millions,
ACOPS has closely collaborated with the GPA, even before it
was adopted. In 1994, ACOPS hosted an international
conference on Financial Mechanisms for the GPA, held in Rio
de Janeiro. After the adoption of the GPA, it established a
close partnership with the GPA Coordination Office in The
Hague. Collaborative work, through which ACOPS has
actively assisted in the development of NPAs, has spanned
several continents.
In 1996,
ACOPS organised a meeting of the environment ministers of
East Asian countries entitled "National and Regional
Application of the Washington Global Programme of Action in
the East Asian Seas" held in Manila, Philippines. The
meeting explored measures for regional implementation of
the Global Programme of Action (GPA) in East Asian Seas and
proposed principles, strategies and elements for a regional
programme of action. In November 1997, Philippine President
Ramos reviewed the level of implementation of programmes on
protection of marine environment, which had been carried
out in the Philippines since ACOPS' Manila Conference in
1996 during the Asia-Pacific Clean up the World Conference
and El Niño Summit, also held in Manila. In November 2000,
ACOPS organized a workshop in Jamaica to assist the
government in setting up the necessary framework and
mechanisms for the development of their NPA.
In
Africa, the GEF MSP, “Development and Protection of the
Marine and Coastal Environment in sub-Saharan Africa” was
acknowledged as a decisive basis for the development of
NPAs in the participating countries. For this reason, the
GPA Coordination Office supported the inclusion of four
additional countries. On the basis of the research and
analysis carried out by the GEF MSP, Nigeria and Tanzania
are currently developing their NPAs. Other countries are
expected to follow.
In
Russia, the GEF PDF-B carried out by ACOPS, “Support to the
National Plan of Action for the Protection of the Arctic
Marine Environment from Anthropogenic Pollution in the
Russian Federation” was co-financed by the GPA. Currently,
the recently approved GEF Full Project, Support to the
National Plan of Action for the Protection of the Arctic
Marine Environment from Anthropogenic Pollution in the
Russian Federation”, is one of the most important and
far-reaching projects to be developed to ensure fulfilment
of the goals of the GPA. At the Intergovernmental Review
Conference of the GPA, held in Montreal in November 2001,
the Russian Arctic NPA, was showcased as a salient example
of this process.
Together
with the GPA Coordination Office, ACOPS developed the UNEP
Handbook on the Development and Implementation of a
National Programme of Action for the Protection of the
Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities. This manual
assists governments in developing their NPAs, a complex and
challenging undertaking. Therefore, ACOPS’ experience in
this field makes it a key partner for assisting countries
in developing their NPAs, as evidenced by ongoing work in
Africa and Russia.
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