Pramuka Island, Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta, 23 May 2026 — Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency marked World Ocean Day 2026 with community-based clean-up activities on Pramuka Island, Kepulauan Seribu, under the theme “One Action for a Sustainable Ocean.”
The event brought together approximately 1,300 participants, including government agencies, local communities, youth groups, NGOs, divers, environmental organizations and media representatives, to address marine litter and plastic pollution through practical action.
In his opening remarks, His Excellency Mr. Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat, Indonesia’s Minister of Environment, acknowledged the cooperation of COBSEA and partners in supporting local, national and regional action on marine litter and plastic pollution.
The activities included dive, snorkeling and island clean-ups, targeting underwater, nearshore, coastal and island environments. Participants also supported waste sorting, weighing and documentation, alongside conservation activities such as coral transplantation and the release of grouper fingerlings and sea turtle hatchlings.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), the Regional Capacity Centre for Clean Seas (RC3S), and other government, NGO and local partners. RC3S serves as COBSEA’s Regional Activity Centre on Marine Litter.
Through the ongoing collaboration between the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and COBSEA in line with the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI), initiatives are being implemented to support countries in strengthening integrated solid waste management, promoting the environmentally sound management of plastic waste, and preventing marine litter leakage in the East Asian Seas. This collaboration highlights the important connection between upstream waste management measures under the Basel Convention and downstream efforts to address marine litter. It includes pilot activities in Indonesia, including collaboration with WWF Indonesia in Derawan, East Kalimantan, to strengthen practical approaches and local partnerships in reducing marine debris leakage.
The World Ocean Day 2026 commemoration highlighted the importance of collective action for ocean protection, while reinforcing Indonesia’s leadership and multi-stakeholder partnerships in tackling marine litter and plastic pollution.
