Ha Noi, 26 November 2020 - The SEA of Solutions 2020 conference took place over the past three days, from 24 to 26 November 2020.

SEA of Solutions is an annual event co-organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) in alternating Southeast Asian countries with the ambition to become a platform for exchanging solutions and cooperating to tackle plastic pollution. The event was a regional dialogue for stakeholders to share solutions for plastic pollution and marine waste, discuss difficulties in managing plastic waste during the complicated COVID-19 pandemic situation, and identify solutions and opportunities to recycle and raise awareness about reducing plastic waste.

With the consent of the Prime Minister and the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) assigned the Viet Nam Administration of Sea and Islands (VASI) to coordinate and co-organize the SEA of Solutions with UNEP both online and offline, allowing a wide range of audiences from inside and outside the ASEAN region to attend.

Given Viet Nam’s current role as the 2020 ASEAN Chair and status as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the cooperation with UNEP to organize the conference has a positive meaning for politics, diplomacy, and the environment at the national, regional, and international scale.

At the conference, Vietnamese leaders, representatives of several ASEAN+3 governments and a number of local and international organizations discussed the risk of plastic waste pollution and marine plastic waste, as well as national efforts and international cooperation based on systematic approaches to addressing various pollution sources, both on land and in the ocean. Participants also emphasized the need for effective coordination between different socio-economic sectors at different levels (including the public and private sectors, civil society, and civic organizations) to jointly take concrete action to tackle the challenge posed by plastic pollution and marine plastic waste.

MONRE Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan stated his belief that the results of the Conference will positively contribute to the effective implementation of the commitments of each country in the regional and global forums to reduce marine plastic waste. On this occasion, the Deputy Minister reaffirmed that Viet Nam is ready to actively participate in and contribute to regional and global initiatives on marine plastic waste, especially in the process of negotiating and developing a Global Agreement on Marine Plastic Waste.

Closing the conference, Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam, congratulated the Government of Viet Nam for its recent efforts in addressing plastic pollution at the source. The adoption of the National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter earlier this year marked a milestone in the national policy framework and a significant commitment for Viet Nam.

“We foresee a huge opportunity for Viet Nam and its partners in the region to shift from one of the world’s worst plastic polluters to one of its greatest drivers for innovations that sustainably address the problem of plastic waste. The time to act is now, before it is too late to save our planet for people, looking towards sustainable development,” Ms. Wiesen highlighted,” Ms. Wiesen highlighted.

The 2020 SEA of Solutions conference on solutions for plastic waste in the East Asia Sea region took place over the course of three days from 24 to 26 November 2020, during which:

-  24, 25, and 26 November (AM): online conference

- 26 November (PM): online and offline conference in Ha Noi conducted jointly with the launch of the project “Mitigating Marine Plastic Debris in Viet Nam”.

The three-day conference included four plenary sessions (including one high-level session attended by visiting ministers from other countries) and ten symposiums related to solutions for reducing plastic waste and preventing waste discharge causing marine pollution.

Viet Nam hosted a technical session on “Promoting Partnership to Combat Marine Plastic Debris in Viet Nam” on 26 November 2020.

The event welcomed more than 100 participants from many countries, including representatives from businesses, government agencies, research organizations, non-governmental organizations, and civil society organizations, to discuss solutions for marine plastic pollution in the region.

Detailed information can be found at: http://sos2020.sea-circular.org/agenda/