The Eleventh NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting was held successfully in Moscow, the Russian Federation, on 20-21 December 2006. Representatives from the NOWPAP member states together with the observers from the UNEP East Asian Seas Regional Coordinating Unit and the UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Project Management Office attended the meeting.

The meeting approved the report of the Executive Director of UNEP on the progress in the implementation of NOWPAP activities, the reports on the activities of the four Regional Activity Centres (RACs) of NOWPAP and the revised Terms of Reference of the NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) and the Focal Points Meetings of CEARAC, MERRAC and POMRAC.  The meeting decided to carry out the evaluation of the performance of RACs in 2007 in order to further enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of NOWPAP activities.  The meeting adopted the General NOWPAP Policy on Data and Information Sharing to facilitate information exchange among the member states and related organizations. The meeting recognized the necessity to increase the total amount of the NOWPAP Trust Fund and the contributions from all member states and decided to further discuss this issue at the next intergovernmental meeting.  The meeting reiterated its endorsement of the GEF project concept on addressing land-based activities that affect the marine and costal environment of the Northwest Pacific region with the focus on persistent toxic substances.  The meeting welcomed and encouraged cooperation and partnerships with relevant organizations, programmes and projects in the region.

The meeting agreed to hold the Twelfth NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting in the People’s Republic of China in 2007.  

(posted on 27 December 2006)

The East Asian Seas Congress 2006 was held in Haikou, China on 12-16 December 2006.  This Congress, featuring “one ocean, one people and one vision”,   brought together over 700 participants from the region and the whole world as well, to share experiences, knowledge and lessons on building partnerships to implement the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Seas of East Asia.  

Contributing to the success of the Congress, NOWPAP has co-organized through its Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC) a workshop on the implementation of effective regional agreements for preparedness and response to marine pollution in East Asia.  In addition, NOWPAP participated in plenary sessions and the inaugural meeting of the EAS Partnership Council together with a number of parallel workshops with various themes ranging from integrated coastal and marine information management, innovative approaches and technology in pollution assessment and management, to the Yellow Sea Partnership building.   During the Congress, an exhibition booth was set up to introduce NOWPAP activities and achievements.

 (posted on 27 December 2006)

At the expert meeting held on 7-9 November 2006 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the Russian Federation, participants from the NOWPAP member states discussed a draft Regional Oil and Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) Spill Contingency Plan in order to address the increasing regional concern of HNS spills in the marine environment.  

The decision on the development of such contingency plan was made in June 2006 by the 9th Focal Points Meeting of the NOWPAP Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Center (MERRAC).  The development of such plan is being undertaken by adding HNS specific issues into the existing NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan.  

It is anticipated that the draft Oil and HNS Contingency Plan will be further reviewed at the next MERRAC Focal Points Meeting in 2007 before formal approval by the member states.

 (posted on 6 December 2006)

Joining hundreds of delegates from governments, international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions and others, NOWPAP participated in the 2nd Intergovernmental Review Meeting (IGR-2) of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA) which was held on 16-20 October 2006 in Beijing.  During the meeting, presentations on NOWPAP marine litter initiative and on NOWPAP contribution to GPA were delivered at the Workshop on Global Partnership for Marine Litter and the China Forum respectively.  In addition, NOWPAP representatives attended relevant sessions and workshops focusing on financing the implementation of the GPA, strengthening legislative and institutional framework, strategic partnerships for International Waters in the Global Environmental facility (GEF), demonstrating integrated freshwater and coastal management approach and public awareness building.  A number of NOWPAP posters, brochures, leaflets, CDs and promotion materials were displayed and distributed in the exhibition organized in conjunction with the IGR-2.  Using the opportunity of the IGR-2, informal meetings were held with some NOWPAP country representatives and partners to discuss cooperation and implementation of NOWPAP programme of work.

(posted on 24 October 2006)

Click here to view EAS CONGRESS 2006 MULTIMEDIA MATERIALS

Beach cleanup organized by NOWPAP

As a part of new NOWPAP project – Marine Litter Activity (MALITA) – international beach cleanup was organized on 30 September 2006 in Sakata city (Yamagata Prefecture, Japan). More than 100 people from China, Japan, Korea and Russia participated in the beach cleanup and a workshop held on the previous day. Representatives from government agencies, research and education institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local citizen shared their experiences in organizing International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and similar events in their countries.

The 2006 NOWPAP ICC event was sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Representative from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea indicated that a similar event might be hosted and financially supported by the Korean Government in September 2007.

Participants of the beach cleanup and associated workshop agreed that raising public awareness is one of most important activities in dealing with the marine litter problem. Representatives of both China and Russia confirmed their willingness to join the ICC in the nearest future. 

(posted on 7 October 2006)

Expansion of Oil Spill Contingency Plan

NOWPAP member states – China, Japan, Korea and Russia – adopted the Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan (RCP) and signed the MOU for this Plan in 2005. According to the decision of the 10th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (held in Toyama, Japan, in November 2005), the geographical coverage of the RCP has been expanded in order to cover the areas of production and transportation of oil and gas along the Sakhalin Island. From 1 July 2006, when this expansion entered into force, the RCP geographical coverage is from 33 to 55 degree North and from 121 to 145 degree East.

(Click on the thumbnail to view the map) 

In order to check the preparedness of NOWPAP member states to accidental oil spills, the First NOWPAP Oil Spill Exercise was organized on 11-12 May 2006 in Aniva Bay (Sakhalin Island, Russia). Several specialized ships and helicopters with oil containment and recovery equipment from Russia and Japan participated in the exercise. China sent several officials to observe the event.  The exercise proceeded well at the beginning as planned but later turned to be a real rescue operation as a Russian helicopter crashed accidentally into the sea.  In spite of that tragic accident, the exercise demonstrated high level of preparedness of NOWPAP member states in case of emergency.

(posted on 10 August 2006)

NOWPAP members join the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC)

A new NOWPAP project – Marine Litter Activity (MALITA) - is being implemented after its approval by the 10th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting.  One of MALITA objectives is to encourage and assist NOWPAP member states to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) which is being held worldwide for about 20 years. While Japan and Korea have joined the ICC since 1990 and 2001 respectivley, Russia and China are encouraged to join too.  

Sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NOWPAP is organizing an ICC campaign in September 2006 in Yamagata Prefecture (Japan) where representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), students and general public from all four NOWPAP countries will jointly collect garbage on the beach and share experience in dealing with marine litter.  

With the generous support from member countries, NOWPAP will continue to organize similar campaigns as both Japan and Korea indicated possible sponsorship of future events.  

(posted on 10 August 2006)

RACs in action

Implementing the decisions of the 10th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM), the four Regional Activity Centres (RACs) of NOWPAP have recently convened their Focal Points Meetings. The detailed work plan for the 2006-2007 biennium has been developed by each RAC.  Following the 10th IGM decision on new directions of work for the RACs, CEARAC, MERRAC and POMRAC have revised the Terms of References for their Focal Points Meetings.

Activities which RACs will implement in 2006-2007 biennium include: developing  guidelines for eutrophication monitoring using satellite data; training on remote sensing data analysis and applications; developing guidelines on mitigation measures for harmful algal blooms (led by CEARAC); establishing  NOWPAP meta-database and clearing house mechanism (led by DINRAC); mapping  regional vulnerable resources; modeling oil spills; establishing minimum level of preparedness for oil spills; preparing for hazardous and noxious substances spills and issues related to OPRC and MARPOL conventions (led by MERRAC); preparing  state of marine environment report; developing integrated coastal zone and river basin management (led by POMRAC). In addition, all four RACs are actively participating in the new NOWPAP Marine Litter Activity.

(posted on 20 June 2006)

1st NOWPAP Workshop on Marine Litter, 8-9 June 2006, Incheon, ROK

As one of the important steps in implementing the NOWPAP Marine Litter Activity, the 1st NOWPAP Workshop on Marine Litter was held on 8-9 June 2006 in Incheon, the Republic of Korea, with kind sponsorship from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Incheon Metropolitan City.

The workshop brought together participants from all NOWPAP member states, UNEP Regional Seas Programme, International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), UNDP/GEF Project on Reducing Environment Stress in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME), as well as research institutions and NGOs.

During the workshop, the marine litter issue was introduced at the global level from UNEP and IMO perspective, and the situation in the NOWPAP region regarding existing policies, management approaches, monitoring and treatment of marine litter was presented. (Click here for the proceedings) The workshop provided an opportunity for the participants to exchange views, to build a common understanding and to find solutions to cope with the marine litter problem in this region.  

A field trip was arranged to learn about facilities for marine litter treatment and about the Korean buyback programme for marine litter collected by local fishermen.  The 2nd NOWPAP Workshop on Marine Litter will be held in Japan early next year

(posted on 20 June 2006).  

Partnerships with YSLME project and PEMSEA are getting stronger

NOWPAP has been actively participating in the creation of Yellow Sea Partnership initiated by the YSLME project earlier this year. This partnership is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of members’ environmental conservation activities, building up awareness of the problems faced by the Yellow Sea ecosystem and seeking support from all sectors for solving the problems. With the Joint Statement for the Yellow Sea Partnership agreed at the workshop in Beijing, China, 15-16 March, NOWPAP will further contribute to the implementation of the joint activities under the Yellow Sea Partnership Pubic Awareness and Communications Strategy, such as sharing information with the partnership members, participating in scientific conferences organized by the members, and producing publications and promotional items.

A cooperative relationship between NOWPAP and the Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) is also being developed smoothly. The preparation for the co-organized Workshop for the Effective Implementation of Regional Agreements for Preparedness and Response to Marine Pollution in East Asia is now in progress.  The workshop is slated to take place in December 2006 in Haikou, China during the East Asia Seas Congress 2006.  From NOWPAP side, the workshop is being prepared by MERRAC.  In addition, NOWPAP has been invited to join the Partnership Operating Arrangements developed by PEMSEA for the implementation of Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia

(posted on 20 June 2006).