The 3rd IORA Workshop on the Development of an “IORA Strategic Framework of Action on Marine Debris in the Indian Ocean” served as a critical final technical consultation to elevate marine pollution within IORA’s Blue Economy work plan. Held in a hybrid format from 28–29 September 2022 in Bali, Indonesia, the meeting’s primary purpose was to finalize a harmonized regional framework and exchange ideas on its future implementation.
Key objectives included reviewing progress from previous sessions, aligning the IORA roadmap with other regional initiatives such as COBSEA, and ranking strategic priorities across five pillars: Framework and Policies; Measures and Actions; Research, Learning and Monitoring; Regional Cooperation; and Awareness and Behavior Change.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and implemented by GIZ, with funding support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and the Federal Foreign Office. High-level participation included H.E. Salman Al-Farisi (IORA Secretary General), H.E. Abdul Kadir Jailani (Director General, MoFA Indonesia), and technical delegates from 12 Member States, including India, South Africa, and Thailand.
The program featured an intensive article-by-article revision of the draft framework to ensure clarity and inclusiveness among all present Member States. Participants also engaged in a field visit to the TPS3R Integrated Waste Management Facility in Seminyak to witness innovative local solutions for zero-waste programming. Breakout groups focused on generating pilot project ideas, such as sub-regional studies on debris distribution and the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems.
Main outcomes included the finalization of the framework for submission to the Council of Ministers (COM) in November 2022 and a roadmap for developing a concrete IORA Plan of Action. This initiative is centrally relevant to IORA’s Blue Economy, establishing the cooperative foundation necessary to address the transboundary threat of marine litter and promote a sustainable, waste-free Indian Ocean.
