Another REC under the UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme in Africa is the
Convention for Co-operation in the Protection and Development of the Marine
and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (the Abidjan
Convention), which was adopted in March 1981 and entered into force on 5 August
1984. With the Abidjan Convention, the Action Plan and the Protocol Concerning
Cooperation in Combating Pollution in Cases of Emergency were adopted. Then, the
Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Pollution in Cases of Emergency in
the Western and Central African Region was adopted in 1985 and entered into force
on 30 May 1986, and the Additional Protocol to the Abidjan Convention Concerning
Cooperation in the Protection and Development of Marine and Coastal Environment
from Land-Based Sources and Activities in the Western, Central and Southern
African Region was adopted on 22 June 2012. The activities under the Abidjan
Convention are coordinated by the Regional Coordinating Unit and the UNEP is
designated as the Secretariat in accordance with Article 16 of the Convention.
100
4.3.2 Asia
The Action Plan for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment and
Coastal Areas of the East Asian Seas Region (the East Asian Seas Action Plan) was
approved in 1981. The States concerned preferred promoting the existing environmental treaties without a regional convention and the relationship is based on good
will. Thus, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) was
established as the regional body for UNEP Regional Seas Programme. The COBSEA
Secretariat is the lead agency of the UN for marine environmental matters in East
Asia, responsible for coordinating the activities of governments, NGOs, UN and
donor agencies, and individuals in caring for the region’s marine environment.
101
The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine
and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) was
adopted in 1994 as a part of the Regional Seas Programme of the UNEP.
102 Like the
COBSEA, the NOWPAP is not based on a convention. In its institution, the
Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) is the high-level governing body that provides
policy guidance and makes decisions. In accordance with the IGM decisions,
NOWPAP Regional Activity Centers were established between 2000 and 2002,
respectively in four participating States, to coordinate a network of activities of
national institutions participating in the NOWPAP and the Regional Coordinating
Unit (RCU) was set up in Japan and Korea in November 2004 to ensure integrated
and well-managed implementation under the Action Plan.
103
100 See
https://abidjanconvention.org/index.php?option¼com_content&view¼article&id¼99&
Itemid¼199&lang¼fr. The text of the Convention is available at https://abidjanconvention.org/
index.php?option¼com_content&view¼article&id¼100&Itemid¼200&lang¼fr.
101 See http://www.unenvironment.org/cobsea.
102 See https://www.unenvironment.org/nowpap/who-we-are.
103 See https://www.unenvironment.org/nowpap/who-we-are/institutional-framework.
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M. Kawano
Convention for Co-operation in the Protection and Development of the Marine
and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (the Abidjan
Convention), which was adopted in March 1981 and entered into force on 5 August
1984. With the Abidjan Convention, the Action Plan and the Protocol Concerning
Cooperation in Combating Pollution in Cases of Emergency were adopted. Then, the
Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Pollution in Cases of Emergency in
the Western and Central African Region was adopted in 1985 and entered into force
on 30 May 1986, and the Additional Protocol to the Abidjan Convention Concerning
Cooperation in the Protection and Development of Marine and Coastal Environment
from Land-Based Sources and Activities in the Western, Central and Southern
African Region was adopted on 22 June 2012. The activities under the Abidjan
Convention are coordinated by the Regional Coordinating Unit and the UNEP is
designated as the Secretariat in accordance with Article 16 of the Convention.
100
4.3.2 Asia
The Action Plan for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment and
Coastal Areas of the East Asian Seas Region (the East Asian Seas Action Plan) was
approved in 1981. The States concerned preferred promoting the existing environmental treaties without a regional convention and the relationship is based on good
will. Thus, the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) was
established as the regional body for UNEP Regional Seas Programme. The COBSEA
Secretariat is the lead agency of the UN for marine environmental matters in East
Asia, responsible for coordinating the activities of governments, NGOs, UN and
donor agencies, and individuals in caring for the region’s marine environment.
101
The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine
and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) was
adopted in 1994 as a part of the Regional Seas Programme of the UNEP.
102 Like the
COBSEA, the NOWPAP is not based on a convention. In its institution, the
Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) is the high-level governing body that provides
policy guidance and makes decisions. In accordance with the IGM decisions,
NOWPAP Regional Activity Centers were established between 2000 and 2002,
respectively in four participating States, to coordinate a network of activities of
national institutions participating in the NOWPAP and the Regional Coordinating
Unit (RCU) was set up in Japan and Korea in November 2004 to ensure integrated
and well-managed implementation under the Action Plan.
103
100 See
https://abidjanconvention.org/index.php?option¼com_content&view¼article&id¼99&
Itemid¼199&lang¼fr. The text of the Convention is available at https://abidjanconvention.org/
index.php?option¼com_content&view¼article&id¼100&Itemid¼200&lang¼fr.
101 See http://www.unenvironment.org/cobsea.
102 See https://www.unenvironment.org/nowpap/who-we-are.
103 See https://www.unenvironment.org/nowpap/who-we-are/institutional-framework.
28
M. Kawano