Philippines Presents National Action Plan on Marine Litter
Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce (2nd from left) along with other panelists at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference.
BUSAN 20 September 2022 – Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela A. Ponce highlighted the Philippines’ National Plan of Action for the Prevention, Reduction and Management of Marine Litter (NPOA-ML) at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC), held in Busan, Republic of Korea on 19 September 2022.
Speaking at the opening session of the Conference, Assistant Secretary Ponce said the NPOA-ML is a blueprint to enhance the Philippines’ efforts on addressing marine litter issues. She stressed that its development was led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through a participatory multi-stakeholder process, proceeding from an understanding that marine litter is a complex and multi-dimensional problem with significant implications for the environment, economy, and human health and safety.
Assistant Secretary Ponce also emphasized that the NPOA-ML is a young plan and that capacity-building and financing, empowerment of stakeholders and complimentary legislative action are needed for its effective implementation.
Like other panelists, the Assistant Secretary underscored the importance of a science and evidence-based baseline data and the need for integrated solutions and a cohesive global response to the issue. She, likewise, welcomed the start of negotiations for an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.
The 7IMDC is co-hosted by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the United Nations Environment Programme and will run until 23 September 2022. The Philippine Delegation is co-headed by Ambassador Maria Theresa De Vega, and includes representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and MARINA. END
Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Maria Theresa De Vega and Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce join ROK Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho Seung-hwan and Busan Mayor Park Heong-Joon at the Welcome Ceremony of the 7th International Marine Debris Conference.