Bangkok, Thailand, 23-25 September 2025: The SEA-MaP Regional Project held the Second Consultation for Development of the Guidebook for Common Methodologies for Assessment and Monitoring Plastic Pollution. The Guidebook and its supporting toolkit aim to serve as a user-friendly document that offers recommended approaches for the ASEAN context regarding assessing and monitoring plastic pollution.

Mr. Ukkrit Satapoomin, Deputy Director-General at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand; in his capacity as representative of the host country, as well as by Ms. Mariglo Rosaida I. Laririt, Assistant Director, Biodiversity Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines, in her capacity as representative of Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME) and Co-Chair of the SEA-MaP Project Steering Committee (PSC), welcomed the participants and opened the Consultation.

The remarks emphasized the value of harmonizing data and aligning common approaches towards monitoring and assessing plastic pollution at the national level to strengthen collective actions at the regional level. Whilst this is a challenging task, it is an essential one that will allow ASEAN to advance towards a shared system of monitoring, reporting, and ultimately managing plastic pollution in a coordinated and effective manner. As such, the Consultation is a timely opportunity to reflect on the collective capacities of ASEAN Member States, as well as ensure that the developed outputs truly reflect the needs and realities of the region, thereby contributing to efforts to improve marine plastic management and sustainable development in ASEAN.

The sessions presented and gathered feedback from the AMS on the proposed draft Guidebook and supporting toolkit, including findings from the stocktaking exercise, as well as dissemination and communication products. The Consultation also featured a panel discussion comprising relevant non-government stakeholders, who shared their experiences, insights, and lessons learned regarding plastic pollution monitoring and assessment approaches, including those proposed in the Guidebook. The Consultation benefited from interactive discussions amongst participants, who shared their views and technical inputs to the draft outputs to ensure that its development is aligned with the needs of the ASEAN and the ASEAN Member States.

The Workshop was conducted in hybrid mode and organized by the SEA-MaP Regional project, facilitated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Imperial College London (ICL), in close coordination with the Regional Implementation Support Unit (RISU) and the Project Management Unit (PMU) of SEA-MaP. The event was participated by representatives of the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat, the PMU and RISU, and observer participants from the World Bank. Meanwhile, non-government stakeholder speakers participated in the panel discussion which was organized on the third day. 

The Workshop was held as a follow-up to the First Technical Consultation that was held on 24 June 2024 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

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