ABOUT THE REGIONAL NODE

The East Asian Seas Regional Node of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) is a regional marine litter knowledge management and networking hub of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA). The Regional Node was established by the resumed Twenty-fifth Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM 25) of COBSEA in 2022 to support the achievement of the COBSEA Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI). The web platform of the Regional Node provides access to marine litter knowledge, resources, good practices, data, networks and learning in the East Asian Seas region.

The Regional Node brings together resources and stakeholders in the region to promote evidence-based and collaborative action on marine litter and plastic pollution. It provides access to policies, frameworks, and knowledge products on marine litter, promotes the replication of good practices, bridges science and policy with access to a regional research and data, and strengthens learning, capacity building and partnerships. In the interim, functions of the Regional Node are carried out by the COBSEA Secretariat.

The GPML is a multi-stakeholder partnership that provides a global cooperation mechanism to prevent marine litter and microplastics, with the aim of sharing knowledge and experience and advancing solutions. Regional Nodes of the GPML create regional networks to address regional knowledge, capacity and networking needs and priorities, leveraging engagement across stakeholder groups and building on and providing linkages to the global-level framework provided by the GPML. The Regional Node is linked to the Global Digital Platform of the GPML.

About COBSEA

The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) is a regional intergovernmental mechanism and one of 18 Regional Seas programmes. It is the decision-making body for the East Asian Seas Action Plan, bringing together nine countries – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Viet Nam – in protection and sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment. COBSEA focuses on marine pollution, ecosystem-based marine and coastal planning and management, and ocean governance. The COBSEA Secretariat is hosted by Thailand in Bangkok and administered by the UNEP Ecosystems Division in Nairobi.

www.cobsea.org
Home NOWPAP MALITA

NOWPAP MALITA

 NOWPAP has initiated a project called Marine Litter Activity (MALITA) since November 2005, after approval by the Tenth NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting. NOWPAP MALITA was a part of the UNEP Global Initiative on marine litter, together with about 10 other individual Regional Seas Programmes.

 The main outcomes of the MALITA implementation are as follows.

 First, a NOWPAP marine litter database was established in 2006 (and updated in 2007), based on marine litter-related data and information available in the region. In addition, Regional Overview on Marine Litter in the NOWPAP Region (the 2nd edition) was released in May 2008 (following the publication of its 1st edition in October 2007).

mi1

 

mi2

 

 Second, a Regional Overview on Legal Instruments, institutional Arrangements and Programmes related to Marine Litter was published in October 2007, based on national summaries prepared by the four NOWPAP member states.


mi3

 

mi4

 

 Third, monitoring guidelines for marine litter on beaches and shorelines and those on the seabed were developed.


mi5

 

mi6

 

 Fourth, sectoral guidelines for fishing, shipping (commercial shippingrecreational activities and passenger ships) and tourism were developed. In addition, guidelines for improvement of port reception facilities and services were published.

 A booklet on recycling of plastic marine litter was also developed.

mi7

mi8

mi9

mi10

mi11

 Fifth, a variety of brochures, leaflets and posters were published and distributed widely in order to increase public awareness on the marine litter problem. Some of them were translated into the national languages of the NOWPAP member states to facilitate further use by the general public including school children and youth.

mi12

mi13

 Sixth, a series of marine litter workshops have been held during the MALITA implementation which were of great use to exchange national data and information, including policies and good practices, and to build common understanding on marine litter issues in and beyond the region.

 Seventh, four NOWPAP international coastal cleanup campaigns were organized (one in each NOWPAP member state) with side events such as workshops, NGO meetings and exhibitions related to marine litter problem. Through a series of events held during 2006-2007, the member states demonstrated their strong ownership and financial support to MALITA while NOWPAP strengthened its cooperation with other regional organizations/programmes/projects (e.g., IMO, UNEP, COBSEA, YSLME, PEMSEA). NGOs also actively participated in all NOWPAP marine litter related events.

mi14

mi15

mi16

mi17

mi18

mi19

 Finally,NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI) was developed and adopted, in principle, at the Twelfth NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (October 2007). The detailed workplan of RAP MALI was finalized at the NOWPAP RAP MALI Meeting (November 2007). RAP MALI is the second phase of the NOWPAP activities related to marine litter which was initiated in 2008 (after formal approval by member states).