Videoconference, 27 November 2024: The Fourth Meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) of the SEA-MaP was held via video conference. It was attended by PSC members from seven ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, the SEA-MaP PMU and RISU, the World Bank, and Project consultants.

The Meeting was co-chaired by Ms. Vararin Vongpanich, Biodiversity Research Specialist, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) of Thailand, and Mr. Ky Anh Nguyen, Director of the Sustainable Development Directorate, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Department, the ASEAN Secretariat. The co-chairs highlighted that the Meeting provides an opportunity to review the overall implementation progress of the SEA-MaP Regional Project since the 3rd PSC Meeting and noted the milestones achieved by the Project since June 2024, namely the endorsement of the Synthesis Report of the Regional Baseline Study and the successful completion of the 2024 Knowledge Exchange Program in Bali, Indonesia. 

The Meeting discussed, among others, the overall progress implementation of the SEA-MaP Regional Project, in particular the endorsement of the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) FY 2025. The Meeting also discussed a number of key ongoing technical deliverables which include the following: 

1. Best Practice Manual for Development of Minimum Standards and Technical Requirements for Plastic Packaging and Labelling
2. Regional Guidebook on Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics
3. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Handbook and Customized Toolkit
4. Regional Guidebook for Common Methodologies for Assessment and Monitoring of Plastic Pollution
5. Regional Platform for Innovation and Investments

The Meeting looks forward to the progress of the Project’s technical deliverables, particularly the development and launching of the Regional Platform for Innovation and Investments, a key deliverable of the SEA-MaP Regional Project for ASEAN. The Platform initiative supports the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States (RAP) Action 14, and seeks to contribute to the overall ASEAN sustainability agenda by supporting the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework and the Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community.

The SEA-MaP Regional Project is funded by the World Bank and contributes to the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States, which aims to reduce plastic consumption, increase recycling, and minimize leakages to prevent land and sea-based marine plastic pollution.