A Regional Task Force Meeting has been taking place in Kenya as part of the GloLitter Partnerships project to reduce marine plastic litter from maritime transport and the fishing sectors. The event in Nairobi (6-10 November) has presented a chance for participants to explore twinning opportunities to address marine plastic litter originating from shipping and fisheries in their region.
Alongside speakers from IMO, the agenda has included presentations from international experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Kenya Maritime and Fisheries Research Institute and the Sustainable Seas Trust on topics such as MARPOL Annex V, the London Convention & Protocol, Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear, and the recycling of fishing gear. Best practice in how to manage port reception facilities has also been addressed.
Hosted by Kenya, a GloLitter Lead Partner Country (LPC), the meeting is attended by representatives from Cote d'Ivoire, Madagascar and Nigeria, also GloLitter LPCs, along with representatives from Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Mozambique, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania and Togo, the project’s Partner Countries. The event is organized in partnership with IMO’s Technical Cooperation Division through the State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs, and is co-sponsored by the Government of Norway, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and IMO TCD.