Message from the Co-Chairs
Dear GPML Community,
As we continue to grow and strengthen our global network, we are thrilled to connect with all of you once again. Your unwavering commitment to tackling plastic pollution and marine litter is what makes our collective efforts impactful and far-reaching. We’re excited to share the latest updates and developments with you.
In this edition of the GPML newsletter you will read about the latest advancements on the GPML Digital Platform, the GPML website consolidation with the Digital Platform, an upcoming GPML webinar, past and future events and a highlight on member activities. The GPML now has 661 member organizations spanning all regions and encompassing member entities from NGOs, the private sector, academia, national governments and international organizations.
We warmly welcome new members to our ever-growing community. If you received this newsletter from one of our current members and would like your organization to become part of GPML, kindly follow the instructions provided on the GPML registration page.
Thank you for your continued dedication and partnership.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Da Silva (Environment and Climate Change Canada) and Fredrik Haag (International Maritime Organization), Co-Chairs of the GPML Steering Committee
Upcoming Webinar: Leveraging the GPML Digital Platform for Sustainable Action on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter
Mark your calendars for an exciting opportunity to dive deep into the features of the GPML Digital Platform! On 03 October, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM UTC +3, the GPML will host a webinar titled "Leveraging the GPML Digital Platform for Sustainable Action on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter."
This webinar is designed to share with our community how to maximize the platform's potential in advancing global efforts against plastic pollution and marine litter. Participants will gain insights into the platform’s key functionalities, including the Knowledge Hub, Data Hub, Partners Hub and Personalized Workspaces. We will also explore how these tools can enhance collaboration and drive impactful action.
Speakers from multiple organizations will share their experiences and highlight how the platform supports their work. The session will conclude with an interactive user consultations session, providing a chance for you to ask questions and share feedback.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to a cleaner, healthier planet to register, Click here.
Refurbished Learning Centre
The GPML Digital Platform's Learning Centre collects and showcases different learning materials such as online courses and webinars for deeper learning on specific topics related to plastic pollution. Whether you're new to the subject or a seasoned professional, the Learning Centre provides valuable insights and practical tools to support action against plastic pollution. Explore these resources to deepen your understanding of plastic pollution and marine litter.
Explore today, by visiting the Learning Centre.
Save the Date: GPML Multi-Stakeholder Event in Busan
Mark your calendars for the upcoming GPML Multi-Stakeholder Event on 02 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. Join us at BEXCO from 13:30-18:30 UTC +9 to engage with global stakeholders on the INC process and explore ways to reduce plastic pollution and marine litter further.
To register for the virtual event, click here.
Important Notice: GPML Website Consolidation into the GPML Digital Platform
As part of our efforts to streamline access to information, all content and resources from this site (www.gpmarinelitter.org) will be transferred to the GPML Digital Platform.
We encourage you to visit the GPML Digital Platform for the latest updates, resources, and opportunities regarding the Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter. To join the GPML, click here.
LAST CALL - Register for SEA of Solutions – Delivering Actions to End Plastic Pollution, 18-20 September 2024
Last Call to Register Now for SEA of Solutions 2024: Unlock Your Opportunity to Combat Plastic Pollution! This is a hybrid event.
We are excited to announce that registration is open for SEA of Solutions 2024, taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 18-20, 2024. This event offers both in-person and virtual participation options, inviting stakeholders from across the globe to unite under the theme “Delivering Actions to End Plastic Pollution”.
Why Attend?
Join a dynamic community of government leaders, industry representatives, civil society advocates, and innovative thinkers at this flagship initiative organized by the SEA circular project. SEA of Solutions 2024 provides an essential platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and partnership-building, paving the way toward a circular economy for plastics. This year’s event will serve as a vital prelude to the 5th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) session focused on establishing a global treaty to combat plastic pollution.
Event Highlights:
Engage in discussions across five thematic focal points that are crucial for driving meaningful change:
- Circularity in the plastic value chain
- Community engagement for behavior change
- Policy and regulatory measures
- Finance mechanisms
- Science and evidence for action
Join us in shaping a sustainable future. Register now and be part of the solution.
SACEP, PLEASE Project
The South Asian region, a significant contributor to global plastic waste, is increasingly addressing the challenges of plastic pollution. The South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) is tackling this issue through the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project, working closely with its member states (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) to amplify impact and contribute to global efforts against plastic pollution.
The project includes 27 Competitive Block Grant Investments, totaling up to USD 20 million, to support plastic waste reduction initiatives. These grants have been awarded to recipients in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Specific initiatives include Sri Lanka’s 3R-based plastic waste management campaign, Pakistan’s National Plastic Waste Management Plan, and the Maldives’ smart waste management system.
As part of policy advocacy, a series of High-Level Roundtable Discussions on Plastic Waste Management is being held across South Asia in 2024. These discussions bring together diverse stakeholders to address key themes such as policy and regulatory matters. Recent High-Level Roundtable Discussions include those in Nepal on May 8, 2024, and Pakistan on July 22, 2024, with more planned in Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, and the Maldives in the coming months.
For more information, click here.
Webinar: Regional Assessment on Marine Litter in the East Asian Seas
On 18 June 2024, COBSEA Secretariat with CSIRO, through the SEA Circular project, held a webinar on the Regional Assessment on Marine Litter in the East Asian Seas. The regional assessment is the first of its kind, providing harmonized on-the-ground evidence at a regional level. It will enable a comprehensive and holistic understanding of mismanaged plastic and will allow countries in the region to address sources, causes and drivers of pollution based on robust evidence and include recommended actions to prevent, manage, and track pollution effectively in line with the COBSEA RAP MALI. For more info, click here.
Workshop: Accelerating Investments for Plastic Circularity
COBSEA, in collaboration with ADB, organized a regional capacity-building workshop on accelerating investments for plastics circularity on 26-27 June in Jakarta, Indonesia. This workshop aimed to provide government officials from the nine COBSEA countries (Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Viet Nam) with insights and strategies on financing plastic circularity projects. Discussions focused on government roles in creating enabling environments for policies and leveraging public and private sector finance across different scales to accelerate plastic circularity. More info
COBSEA Ghost Gear Toolbox highlighted on World Oceans Day 2024
On World Oceans Day, 8 June 2024, COBSEA organized a collaborative social media effort with the UNEP Asia Pacific Office to highlight COBSEA’s Ghost Gear Toolbox to raise awareness on Marine Litter and Ghost Gear prevention, mitigation, and management for the East Asian Seas region. The social media post, which attracted over 1,500 views within 24 hours, links COBSEA’s ghost gear tools, reports, case studies, and guidance videos (in 9 different languages from COBSEA region) available on the East Asian Seas Regional Node of the Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML) web platform.
COBSEA highlights regional coordination to promote plastic circularity
On 31 July, COBSEA participated in a Verra workshop ‘A Finance Mechanism to Support Indonesia's Plastic Waste Management Priorities’ and presented initiatives to advance plastic circularity in the East Asian Seas. Discussions centered on Indonesia's plastic waste management challenges and regional circularity efforts, including finance mechanisms to meet country priorities. COBSEA highlighted efforts in replicating good practices for pollution prevention and management from land and sea-based sources. This includes pilots on integrated plastic waste management in remote and island communities in Indonesia and the launch of the East Asian Seas Regional Node of GPML. COBSEA also called for strengthened regional coordination to achieve the RAP MALI. Other panelists included the Asian Development Bank, Indonesia National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), and Plastic Collective. For more information, click here.
Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) project – Kick off meeting
During the last week of June, the second phase of the Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) project held a Kick-Off Meeting and Study Tour in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. PROMAR aims to reduce waste streams, namely plastic packaging and single-use plastics, entering the Caribbean Sea while promoting circular economy solutions in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. This experience offered country representatives from government and local non-profit and educational institutions alike, the opportunity to visit pilot projects and to exchange knowledge, ideas, and lessons learned from previous initiatives. As part of the study tour, participants had the opportunity to visit innovative pilot projects implemented in the Dominican Republic, including La Estación Azul Ozama (recycling facility) and the Yaque del Norte river boom.
The collaborative discussions focused on adapting successful strategies to phase two partner countries, which are coordinated by UNEP's Cartagena Convention Secretariat and include Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the British Virgin Islands. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and Nuclear Safety (BMUV) and implemented in collaboration with adelphi. We are extremely proud of the project's achievements and are eager to embark on the next phase. Together, we are driving sustainable progress and making a real impact. More information is available on the PROMAR website. For further information, contact taylor.clayton@un.org.
The Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) News and Updates
The Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), a key partner of GPML, has significantly contributed to the development of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Marine Litter, particularly the e-learning course on sea-based sources of plastic pollution. In May, GPML hosted a webinar featuring GGGI’s Policy Specialist, Hannah Pragnell-Raasch, who discussed governance and policy approaches for abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG).
GGGI manages the world’s largest publicly accessible online ALDFG Data Portal, allowing organizations to upload and visualize global ALDFG records, including details on location, gear type, and marine animal entanglements. The Data Portal, established in 2017, is being considered to support the monitoring and reporting requirements for an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) to end plastic pollution.
In 2023, GGGI enhanced the Data Portal to process end-of-life fishing gear data and expanded the Ghost Gear Reporter App to support 12 languages. GGGI continues to work on improving the Data Portal to meet the needs of governments for national and regional reporting. For more information on GGGI’s efforts and recent updates, visit the GGGI website and check out the 2023 Annual Report.
INC-5
The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), is scheduled to take place from 25 November to 1 December 2024 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The session will be preceded by regional consultations on 24 November 2024.
2025 UN Ocean Conference
The high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (the 2025 UN Ocean Conference) will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica and held in Nice, France, from 9 – 13 June 2025.
For more information, click here.
Follow the GPML LinkedIn page for news and updates from the Partnership
Stay in the loop by following the GPML on LinkedIn. Join our community for timely updates and announcements, inspiring stories, and to further connect with like-minded individuals dedicated to combatting plastic pollution and marine litter.
Follow us on LinkedIn
Do you know an organisation or individual working to address plastic pollution and marine litter? Encourage them to sign up and join us!
Submissions to the next edition of the Newsletter
We invite GPML members to contribute their insights and expertise to our next newsletter. Your inputs are invaluable in shaping the content and ensuring that our newsletter remains informative and engaging. Please feel free to send us your suggestions, articles, or any other contributions. Contact us here.
Secretariat services for the Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter are provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Copyright © 2024 GPML, All rights reserved. Nairobi, Kenya. unep-gpmarinelitter@un.org