The NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) was recently invited by the Busan Foundation of International Cooperation (BFIC) to present on international cooperation in environmental governance at a seminar for university students in Busan, Republic of Korea. Ning Liu, Programme Officer of NOWPAP RCU, shared insights on the history, institutional structure, and major activities of NOWPAP, emphasising the intergovernmental mechanism that provides a platform for participating countries to identify prioritised areas and allocate resources to address challenges in marine and coastal environmental protection and development.
Liu used marine litter as an example to illustrate how NOWPAP has contributed to global actions to address marine litter since 2005 and the ongoing discussion on developing a global legal mechanism for plastics.
More than twenty students from various universities attended the seminar, including Pukyong National University, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Dong A University, and Busan University of Foreign Studies. They were eager to learn about NOWPAP's main achievements in the past three decades, how NOWPAP cooperates with national governments, NGOs, and academia, the possibilities of Democratic People's Republic of Korea's participation in NOWPAP activities, operational mechanisms of the UN, and internship and job opportunities with UN agencies.
Liu responded to these questions and elaborated on the role of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in environmental governance, emphasising how MEAs are essential tools in international cooperation for environmental protection. After the seminar, Liu met with the Secretary General of BFIC, Dr. Ki-Sik Hwang. Dr. Hwang appreciated the long-time collaboration between NOWPAP and BFIC and expressed a desire to explore further opportunities for cooperation in awareness raising, education, and international relations.
