Feature Message by Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME)

MAY 2024

ASEAN’s continued progress in tackling marine debris through collaboration and cooperation

A Feature Message by Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand; Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME) and Co-Chair of the SEA-MaP Project Steering Committee (PSC).

As we welcome the new year, tackling marine debris remains high on the agenda of ASEAN. ASEAN’s commitment to combating marine plastic pollution has been demonstrated through milestone achievements. In 2019, ASEAN adopted the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Region and ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris. Within two years, in 2021, ASEAN launched the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States (ASEAN RAP). These milestones complement and build upon each other, amplifying ASEAN’s dedicated cooperation toward tackling this transboundary issue.

ASEAN in collaboration with external partners are working to effectively address the issue regionally and contributing to larger efforts at the international level. One such cooperation is the Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics (SEA-MaP Regional Project) which was established in 2022, also marking the beginning of a partnership between ASEAN and the World Bank. The SEA-MaP Regional Project with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as its implementing partner supports ASEAN through the ASEAN Secretariat to implement 10 out of the 14 priority actions in the ASEAN RAP.

These regional actions are also complemented by existing efforts undertaken by the ASEAN Member States at the national level, ranging from the implementation of policies and regulations on single-use plastics and plastic packaging standards, to behavior change campaigns. These initiatives demonstrate the continued determination of the ASEAN Member States in taking concrete steps towards combating marine pollution.

I am encouraged to see the active collaboration between ASEAN and our external partners in supporting and accelerating the progress in the implementation of the ASEAN RAP, focusing on reducing plastic consumption, enhancing recycling, and minimizing waste leakages to prevent plastic pollution in the region.

As SEA-MaP enters its second year of project implementation in 2024, I look forward to the achievement of more milestones to come, ranging from supporting regional policy harmonization and capacity-building activities. The project will also support the establishment of Regional Platforms to promote innovation, investments, knowledge, and partnerships. The Regional Platforms aim to promote knowledge exchange, and bridge innovative financing, and technological solutions across the ASEAN Member States, optimizing engagement with private sector champions and fostering collaboration targeted at generating greater investments in plastic circularity, and facilitating the shift towards a blue and a circular economy.

Moving forward, I highly encourage SEA-MaP and our various partners to continue to enhance synergy and strengthen cooperation to support the implementation of the ASEAN RAP in tackling marine plastic pollution.

Thank you.