CONNECTING SEAS: REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS ON MARINE LITTER AND THE GLOBAL FRAMEWORK

9.00h     Welcome and introduction by Spain OSPAR HOD and Vice-President of Barcelona Convention Bureau, Ms. Itziar Martín.

9.10h    Marine litter in the RSC, by speakers.

• Ms. Tatjana Hema, Coordinator of UNEP/ Mediterranean Action Plan, Barcelona Convention Secretariat
• Mr. Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, Helsinki Commission – HELCOM
• Mr. Philip Stamp, Deputy Secretary for the Environmental Impacts of Human Activities Committee, OSPAR Convention
• Ms. Iryna Makarenko, PMA Officer, Black Sea Commission Permanent Secretariat, Bucharest Convention

10.15h Debate among speakers: panel members will explore the importance of regional assessments in contributing to a global framework, with specific consideration of marine litter assessments, the mandate of Regional Sea Conventions, contribution to marine litter Sustainable Development Goals and the UN’s legally binding agreement on plastic pollution. Panellists will also highlight current Regional Sea Convention efforts to collaborate on marine litter generally, and specifically the work being done on riverine litter. The debate will be moderated by Ms. Itziar Martín.

10.45h  Q&A

11.00h  End of the session.