Vientiane, Lao PDR, 25 June 2024: The Third Meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) of the SEA-MaP was held in Vientiane, Lao PDR and via video conference. The Meeting was held as part of the series of the 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal Marine Environment (AWGCME) and Related Meetings on 24-27 June 2024. It was attended by PSC members from all ten ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, the SEA-MaP PMU and RISU, the World Bank, and project consultants.

The Meeting was co-chaired by Mrs. Sumana Kajonwattanakul, Director of Marine and Coastal Resources Research and Development Institute, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) 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 conveyed that the Meeting is timely to take stock of the implementation progress of the deliverables of the SEA-MaP Regional Project as well as highlight the Project’s relevance towards supporting the larger sustainability agenda of addressing plastic pollution and promoting the transition to a circular economy at the regional and global levels.

The Meeting discussed, among others, the overall progress implementation of the SEA-MaP Regional Project, in particular:

1. Regional Platform for Innovation and Investments
2. Regional Platform for Knowledge and Partnerships
3. Knowledge Exchange Program 2024
4. Regional Guidebook for Common Methodologies for Assessment and Monitoring of Plastic Pollution
5. Regional Baseline Report

The Meeting underscored the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the Regional Platforms for Innovation, Investments, Knowledge, and Partnerships. This will allow the platforms to remain viable and provide impactful outcomes for ASEAN in tackling marine litter in the region.

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.