'Established in 1974, the Regional Seas Programme is UN Environment's most important mechanism for the conservation of the marine and coastal environment.
It is action orientated and tailored towards the 18 different regions in which it operates. 146 countries participate in the Programme, promoting sustainable development around their coasts and seas, as part of their commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 14, Life Under Water. UN Environment administers 7 of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans and supports a further 11 Regional Seas organisations.
The prevention and monitoring of marine pollution including plastics and litter is one of the major planks of the Programme with the promotion of sustainable consumption and production patterns and climate change mitigation, emerging as major themes going forward. Discover our CleanSeas campaign.'
