2009:

2 - 5 November 2009: The Twentieth Meeting of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), Ha Long City, Vietnam

5 - 8 October 2009: 11th Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, Bangkok, Thailand.

31 August - 4 September 2009: The Traning and Review Workshop on the Management of Marine and Coastal Invasive Species in the East Asian Seas Region, Bangkok, Thailand

2008:

18 - 20 September: The Second COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop and Cleanup Campaign

10-11 June: The COBSEA Forum on Marine Pollution related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China

1-3 May: The UNEP/IOC Technical Working Group Workshop for the development of UNEP/IOC Operational Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter, Phuket, Thailand

22-23 January: The Nineteenth Meeting of COBSEA, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007:

28-29 September: The NOWPAP International Coastal Cleanup Campaign, Busan, Republic of Korea

5-6 September: The Special Intergovernmental Session of COBSEA, Putrajaya, Malaysia

29-30 May: The Regional Workshop and Launching of the Green Fins Programme, Phuket, Thailand

7-8 May: The First COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop, Jakarta, Indonesia

5-6 April: The First East Asian Seas Knowledgebase Workshop, Singapore

2006:

12 December: Seminar on Integrated Coastal and Marine Information Management, EAS Congress, Haikou, P.R. China

19 October: The East Asian Seas Regional Consultation Forum, side-event during the IGR-2, Beiijing, P.R. China

4-5 October: 'The East Asian Seas IGR-2 Preparatory Workshop - Partnership Opportunities for Enhanced GPA Implementation', Bangkok, Thailand

24-25 May: COBSEA Regional Workshop on Coral Reef Monitoring and Management, Pattaya, Thailand

24-25 January: The Eighteenth Meeting of the Coordinating Body of the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), Sanya, Hainan Province, People's Republic of China

23 January: The Technical Meeting to finalize the White Paper, Sanya, Hainan Province, Peoples's Republic of China


2005:

11 May: The First Regional Brainstorming Meeting of National Focal Points on the New Strategic Direction of COBSEA, Bangkok, Thailand

9-10 May: The First Regional Partners Workshop on Regional Coordination Mechanisms in the East Asian Seas Region, Bangkok, Thailand

 

The Second COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop, Pattaya, Thailand 18 - 20 September 2008

The Second COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop was held on 18 – 20 September in Pattaya, Thailand. It was convened in order to discuss the further implementation of the COBSEA Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP-MALI) that was adopted at the 19 th Intergovernmental Meeting in January 2008 with the aim of enhancing marine litter awareness and management in the East Asian Seas region. The workshop was hosted by UNEP in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand and Pattaya City. It was attended by more than 70 participants from the COBSEA member countries, international organizations, regional bodies and the private sector. The participants were also divided into three groups for discussion on the following issues:

• National implementation of the RAP-MALI and the private sector partnership: the group identified the raising awareness of marine litter and the preventing and reducing of it from land-based and sea-based sources as priorities for action. The private sector partnership discussion touched on issues pertaining to activities, barriers, mitigations and finance.
• The Green Fins Programme: Representatives from Countries participating in the Green Fins Programme discussed about the harmonization of materials, the Green Fins website and on the sharing of experiences between COBSEA member countries
• The Clean Beach Award: the winners from four countries, namely People Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Thailand shared their experiences in beach environment management and on their innovative approaches towards a cleaner beach.

As part of the workshop, there was also an exhibition of the entries of the Green Fins Photo Contest as well as an exhibition of work of art from marine litter. In relation to the International Coastal Cleanup day, a major cleanup of the Pattaya beach was carried out, supported by more than 1000 participants, that included the workshop participants, local organizations, school children, volunteers from institutions of higher learning and many ordinary civic-minded people of Pattaya City. There was also an underwater cleanup of the nearby islands by divers from the Green Fins programme and other volunteers

For more information on COBSEA's marine litter activities, click here.

For more information on the First COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop, click here.

The COBSEA Forum on Marine Pollution related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), 10-11 June 2008

Read more... Report of the COBSEA Forum on Marine Pollution related MEAs (read..., pdf-file, 97 KB)

The forum was organized in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China in order to identify measures on how MEA implementation can be enhanced in the East Asian Seas region.

The forum brought together decision-makers and practitioners in People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam with partner organizations involved in MEA implementation as well as relevant convention secretariats including IMO, UNEP GPA, NOWPAP and SCIES. The forum looked at five MEAs:

• The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, (MARPOL);
  
• The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation,  (OPRC);
  
• The Convention on Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention);
  
• The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments (Ballast Water Convention); and
  
• The Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA).

MARPOL and GPA were identified as priority MEAs for capacity building. The need for improved port waste reception facilities was identified as an emerging issue.

In addition, the need for effective implementation of oil spill contingency plans, compensation claims,  documentation and CLC 92 generated a wide interest in the participants.

The lack of legal expertise in countries to assist in negotiation and ratification was evident, but the forum was also able to identify countries that have institutions with the potential to provide technical support for others.                   

The organization of the COBSEA Forum on Marine Pollution related MEAs is part of COBSEA's capacity building activities. More information...

 

UNEP/IOC Technical Working Group Workshop for the development of UNEP/IOC Operational Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter, Phuket, Thailand, 1-3 May, 2008:

The workshop was co-organized by the UNEP Regional Seas Programme and the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and hosted by the COBSEA Secretariat.

Experts from several Regional Seas Programmes including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, NOWPAP, East Africa and the North-East Atlantic as well as international experts from other organizations attended the workshop.

See also more information about COBSEA's marine litter initiative...

Visit the Global Marine Litter Information Portal...

 

The Nineteenth Meeting of COBSEA, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 22-23 January, 2008:

Read more... Report of the Nineteenth Meeting of COBSEA (read..., pdf-file, 814 KB)

The Nineteenth Intergovernmental Meeting of COBSEA was graciously hosted by the Royal Government of Cambodia. A number of important matters were discussed, approved and adopted by the meeting. These included:

• The adoption of the New Strategic Direction (2008-2012), which will guide the activities of COBSEA during the coming five years;
• The adoption of the COBSEA Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter outlining the prioritized actions for addressing marine litter in the East Asian Seas region;
• The approval of the outline for the first state of marine environment report in the region entitled the "East Asian Seas Environment Outlook" (EASEO); and
• The approval of the work plan and budget for the COBSEA and its Secretariat during 2008-2009.

The meeting also provided guidance to the Secretariat with regards to its role in the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea.

 

The NOWPAP International Coastal Cleanup, Busan, the Republic of Korea, 28-29 September 2007.

The 2007 NOWPAP ICC campaign was organised in order to highlight the global concern of marine litter and strengthen cooperation between neighbouring countries to better cope with the litter problem. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Republic of Korea, was generous enough to support COBSEA's participation in this important event. In addition, COBSEA participated in the NOWPAP ICC campaign as a co-sponsor. Visit NOWPAP's website...

 

See also more information about COBSEA's marine litter initiative...

 

The Special Intergovernmental Session of COBSEA, 5-6 September 2007, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Read more... Report of the Special Intergovernmental Session of COBSEA on the East Asian Seas Action Plan (read..., pdf-file, 249 KB)

At the 18th Meeting of COBSEA, the COBSEA member countries requested the the East Asian Seas Regional Coordinating Unit (EAS/RCU) to organize a special inter-governmental meeting of the COBSEA to consider recommending adoption of the final version of the White Paper at the 19th Meeting of COBSEA.

The Special Intergovernmental Session of COBSEA was graciously hosted by the Government of Malaysia 5-6 September 2007. The meeting discussed the new strategic direction of COBSEA (2008-2012) in detail and finalised the White Paper to be presented to the 19th Meeting of COBSEA for possible adoption.

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The Regional Workshop and Launching of the Green Fins Programme, Phuket, Thailand, 29-30 May 2007.

Read more... Report of the Regional Workshop and Launching of the Green Fins Programme (read..., pdf-file, 13,473 KB)

The Green Fins programme was initiated in 2004 in the three countries Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. The overall objective of the “Green Fins” programme is to establish a network of environmentally-friendly dive operators for sustainable tourism in coral reef areas and to assist in coral reef monitoring. The “Green Fins” provides certificates to dive operators according to a set of environmentally-friendly guidelines. 

The Regional Workshop was organised in order to:

• Launch the Green Fins Programme;
• Share the experiences of Phuket Marine Biological Center in Thailand and Ocean Adventure in the Philippines in implementing the Green Fins programme with the other countries in the region;
• Expand the Green Fins Network in the other COBSEA countries;
• Discuss ways and means to improve the Green Fins activities and promote sustainability of Green Fins; and
• Discuss the involvement of other organizations involved in coral reef management and conservation activities in the region in dive operations such as PADI, Reefcheck, Reef World, ICRAN and ICRI and the private sector such as hotel and tour operators.

During the workshop the results from the Green Fins Slogan Competition were announced and a field trip was organized for youth and local journalists.

See also more information on the Green Fins Programme...

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The First COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop, Jakarta, Indonesia, 8-9 May 2007.

There are indications that the marine litter problemkeeps growing despite the efforts made regionally, nationally and internationally. Deficiencies in the implementation and enforcement of existing international, regional, national regulations and standards that could improve the situation, combined with a lack of awareness among main stakeholders and the general public, are other major reasons why the marine litter problem not only remains but keeps increasing worldwide.

The marine litter initiative in the East Asian Seas region was started by COBSEA in 2005 as part of UNEP’s Global Programme on Marine Litter. This marine litter initiative in the East Asian Seas region includes the following activities:

• A review of the status and impact of the marine litter problem and existing management measures in the East Asian Seas region; and
  
• Development of a framework document on a Regional Plan of Action for Sustainable Management of Marine Litter

The East Asian Seas Marine Litter Workshop is intended to provide a forum for national authorities, experts and relevant regional organisations dealing with marine litter to:

• Share their experiences on the management of marine litter;
  
• Discuss the outcomes of the regional review on the existing status of marine litter in the region;
  
• Provide input to the draft framework document on the Plan of Action for Sustainable Management of Marine Litter; and
  
• Discuss activities to increase the public awareness of marine litter in the East Asian Seas region in connection to the coastal cleanup day 15 September.

Read more...

Report of the First COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop (including Annexes 1-4 and 20-22) (read... pdf-file 880 kb) Download the workshop presentations separately: Annex 5: UNEP's Global Initiative on Marine Litter, Dr. Ellik Adler, UNEP Regional Seas Programme Annex 6: Draft Regional Review on Marine Litter in the East Asian Seas region, Mr. Steve Raaymakers, Ecostrategic Consultants Annex 7: Marine Litter: Australia's responses to a national and regional problem, Dr. Ilse Kiessling, Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Australia Annex 8: Marine Litter in Cambodia, Mr. Koch Savath, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia Annex 9: Marine Litter in China, Mr. Huang Zhengguang, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, P.R. China Annex 10: Marine Litter in Indonesia, Ms. Wahyu Indraningsih, Ministry of Environment, Indonesia Annex 11: Marine Litter Management in Malaysia, Mr. Hashim bin Daud, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia Annex 12: National Implementation of the Korean Policy on the Marine Litter Issue, Dr. Rho-Taek Jung, Maritime and Ocean Engineering Research Institution, R.O. Korea Annex 13: Marine Litter - the Philippine experience, Ms. Maricris T. Laciste, Environmental Management Bureau, the Philippines Annex 14: Thailand's Experiences of Marine Litter Management, Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand Annex 15: Vietnam's National Survey on Marine Litter, Mr. Le Dai Thang, Vietnam Environment Protection Agency, Vietnam Annex 16 & Annex 17: NOWPAP Marine Litter Activity, Dr. Jeung Sook Park, NOWPAP RCU & Dr. Takafumi Yoshida, NOWPAP CEARAC Annex 18: Sustainable Seas- Reducing Marine Litter through a Clean Ports Award Program. Lessons from Down Under - The Experience of Australian Award-based Litter Reduction Programs, Mr. Richard Olesinski, Keep Australia Beautiful National Association Annex 19: Presentation of the draft framework document "Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter for the East Asian Seas region", Mr. Steve Raaymakers, EcoStrategic Consultants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See also more information on COBSEA's marine litter initiative...

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The First East Asian Seas Knowledgebase Workshop, Singapore, 5-6 April 2007.

Read more... Report from the First East Asian Seas Knowledgebase Workshop (including Annexes 1-3 and 9-12) (read... pdf-file 375 KB) Download Annex 4, Annex 5. Annex 6, Annex 7 and Annex 8 separately.

The concept of developing a regional database in the East Asian Seas region has been described under the framework of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) since the inception of the East Asian Seas Action Plan. At the 18th Meeting of COBSEA in January 2006, the need for improved information management on coastal and marine data and activities was re-emphasized by the COBSEA member countries. It was suggested that COBSEA should give information management a higher priority.

The East Asian Seas Knowledgebase has been initiated with the two main components:

• The development of a regional knowledgebase on existing activities, programmes and projects; and
• The development of a national database framework on national data and information regarding the coastal and marine environment

The Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) at the National University of Singapore has been engaged for the overall development of the EAS Knowledgebase. A pilot national database has been initiated through the Center of Environmental Monitoring, Data and Information (CEMDI), Vietnam Environmental Protection Agency.

See also more information on COBSEA's information management activities...

Visit the pilot regional knowledgebase...

Visit the pilot national database (Vietnam Marine Environment Portal)...

The First East Asian Seas Knowledgebase workshop was convened in order to:

• Present the developments of the EAS Knowledgebase;
• Discuss how the EAS Knowledgebase can best respond to user needs;
• Discuss how the EAS Knowledgebase can be expanded through collaboration with regional and national partners; and
• Discuss how to best ensure the sustainability of the EAS Knowledgebase.

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"Integrated Coastal and Marine Information Management", 12 December, a co-convened seminar at the East Asian Seas Congress, Haikou, Hainan Province, P.R. China, 12-16 December, 2006.

The seminar was co-convened by COBSEA and the Southeast Asia Regional Learning Center (SEA/RLC) of the IW:LEARN project. The seminar provided an overview of existing databases and information systems related to coastal and marine environment and discussed ways and means to enhance the access of information to support the sustainable management of the coastal and marine environment of the East Asian Seas region.

Two key deficiencies were identified as the access to data and the inadequate data collection and monitoring. The abstracts and papers presented during the seminar were:

• To spotlight successfully implemented COBSEA projects on coral reef monitoring and management;
• To introduce other regional and global initiatives within the Seas of East Asia;
• To review and discuss the proposed COBSEA Resource Guidebook; and
• To discuss potential future activities of COBSEA.

The Technical Meeting to Finalize the White Paper and the 18th Meeting of COBSEA was hosted by the Government of People’s Republic of China in Sanya, Hainan Province, China. The Technical Meeting discussed the draft White Paper for the New Strategic Direction of COBSEA that has been developed by the EAS/RCU in close consultation with the COBSEA member countries. The Technical Meeting tabled its recommendations to the Eighteenth COBSEA Meeting for consideration.

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