NOWPAP Coordinator, Dr. Yegor Volovik, was invited to make an opennning speech at the 17th Meeting of the Association of Northeast Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) on Jan 28, 2026. In his speech, he urged deeper cross-border cooperation to address mounting environmental pressures on the Northwest Pacific, including marine litter, pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.
Speaking on behalf of NOWPAP, which brings together China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia, Dr. Volovik thanked NEAR organisers for the opportunity to present the programme’s work and priorities.
NOWPAP was created in 1994 to coordinate regional action to protect the marine and coastal environment of the Northwest Pacific. It operates under UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme, a global network of regional conventions and action plans designed to translate international environmental commitments into coordinated action on the ground.
NOWPAP marked its 30th anniversary last year, underscoring what the speaker described as decades of sustained cooperation among its four member states.
Marine litter—particularly plastics and microplastics—featured prominently in the remarks. The speaker noted that NOWPAP’s Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, updated in 2022, lays out concrete measures ranging from microplastics assessments in rivers to national-level projects and beach clean-up campaigns.
The address also linked the region’s efforts to broader international momentum, noting that recent sessions of the United Nations Environment Assembly have emphasized the urgency of tackling marine litter and other interconnected crises.
NOWPAP’s work is implemented through Regional Activity Centres hosted in each member state. According to the statement, these centres help strengthen collaboration, support knowledge sharing and advance practical initiatives to protect the region’s seas and coastlines.
The speaker closed by stressing that effective solutions will require sustained collaboration, exchange of best practices and alignment with international frameworks—so that global commitments can be turned into measurable national and regional action.
The NOWPAP representative expressed confidence that NEAR participants would help generate constructive discussions and outcomes, and wished the meeting success.
