First Intergovernmental Review Meeting of the GPA: Montreal 2001

The First Intergovernmental Review Meeting of the GPA (IGR-1) was held in Montreal, Canada in November 2001. Representatives from 98 countries, including ministers and other high-level officials, with the valued contribution of numerous United Nations bodies, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, convened to review the implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) since its adoption in November 1995, and to chart the way forward.

IGR-1 was instrumental in developing the GPA such that it is now recognised as a valuable tool for furthering ecosystem approaches to coasts, oceans and island management. The meeting focused substantively on the issues of municipal wastewater, integrated coastal and oceans governance, building partnerships and financing the implementation of the GPA. Delegates noted steady, albeit slow, progress in the implementation of the GPA at global, regional and national levels. However, delegates also recognised that: the present models of coastal development need change; new and innovative sources of funding are required; the objectives of GPA need to be mainstreamed into national development plans and financial arrangements; and people and their governments must be mobilized in new partnerships. The meeting endorsed the GPA Coordination Office 2002-2006 Programme of Work with indicative costs. The key outcomes of the meeting included the Montreal Declaration; conclusions of the Co-Chairs; a declaration by the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment; a statement by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives; and a statement by non-governmental organizations.

For further information please see these documents:

1. Official Report of the IGR-1 Meeting on the Implementation of the GPA (UNEP/GPA/IGR.1/9) IGR1 Meeting report English
2. Key Outputs of IGR-1 IGR1 Key Outputs English

Second Intergovernmental Review Meeting of the GPA: Beijing 2006

The Second Intergovernmental Review (IGR-2) Meeting of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) took place in Beijing, China, from 16-20 October 2006. The meeting was hosted by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China and attended by over 400 participants, representing governments, international and regional organizations, international financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The goals of IGR-2 were to: strengthen the implementation of the GPA at national, regional and global levels; contribute to the achievement of specific targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation as they relate to the GPA, the ecosystem approach, and sanitation; and provide guidance on the programme of work for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/GPA Coordination Office for the period 2007-2011.

Over the course of the five-day meeting, delegates addressed several key issues, including: the way forward with National Plans of Action, a review of accomplishments in GPA implementation from 2001 to 2006; and Guidance for the Implementation of the GPA 2007-2011. Delegates also engaged in 19 partnership workshops on mainstreaming the implementation of the GPA. Over 40 ministers and high-level officials, as well as representatives from 19 intergovernmental organizations, 17 UN agencies and 12 NGOs, also addressed the meeting during a High-Level Segment. The outcomes of the meeting include: a Chair’s summary of the high-level discussions; a report of the meeting; and the Beijing Declaration on Furthering the Implementation of the GPA.

A brief overview of the main outcomes of the IGR-2 can be found here: IGR2 outcomes

The meeting report can be found here: IGR2 Meeting report English

The report is also available in Arabic IGR2 Meeting report Arabic Chinese IGR2 Meeting report Chinese French IGR2 Meeting report French Russian IGR2 Meeting report Russian Spanish IGR2 Meeting report Spanish

Third Intergovernmental Review Meeting of the GPA: 25-27January 2012

The Third Intergovernmental Review Meeting of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Pollution (GPA) will be held 25-27 January 2012, in Manila, The Philippines. Documentation relevant to the meeting is available here.