Vientiane, Lao PDR, 24 June 2024: The SEA-MaP Regional Project successfully hosted the Regional Workshop to discuss the Regional Baseline Report and Guidebook for Common Methodologies for Assessing and Monitoring Plastic Pollution (SEA-MaP Regional Event). The Event brought together the SEA-MaP Project Steering Committee (PSC) Members from all ten ASEAN Member States, along with their technical experts and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, the World Bank, and other environmental organizations.

Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, Director-General of the Department of Water Resources, MONRE of Lao PDR, welcomed all participants and consultants to the Workshop and stressed the importance of the baseline report, reliable data, and common approaches to improving monitoring plastic waste.

Facilitated by the consultant teams, the participants actively engaged in discussions throughout all three sessions of the Workshop. The Workshop reviewed a proposed roadmap for establishing common indicators for monitoring plastic pollution at a regional level, with the consultant teams providing valuable training on applying the methodology to available data. The participants also engaged in discussions and surveys to inform the development of the Guidebook for Common Methodologies for Assessing and Monitoring Plastic Pollution, which the SEA-MaP is currently preparing.

These deliverables supports the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States, a regional strategy for addressing plastic pollution in Southeast Asia. The workshop was held in conjunction with the 25^th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME), further highlighting the commitment of ASEAN to collaboratively address the environmental challenges facing the region.