What's News
Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Attends Conference of the Parties to the London Convention and Protocol
-
Date
2026.10.20.
-
Hit
128
-
File
Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Attends Conference of the Parties to the London Convention and Protocol
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that a government delegation attended the 48th Conference of Parties to the 21st London Convention and the London Protocol* held in London, UK—where the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is located—from Monday, October 5 to Friday, October 9.
* London Convention and Protocol: International agreements aimed at preventing marine pollution caused by the dumping of waste and other materials into the ocean. Korea ratified the London Convention in 1993 and the London Protocol in 2009.
The annual Conference of Parties reviews the status of each country's implementation of the convention and discusses measures to address new international issues related to marine environmental protection. This year's General Assembly addressed key agenda items including the evaluation framework and regulatory measures for the Marine Geo-Engineering (MGE)* program to address climate change, radioactive waste management, and cooperation and coordination measures between the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement** and the London Convention and Protocol.
* Activities for artificially modifying natural ocean processes to mitigate climate change and its impacts
** International Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Waters Outside State Jurisdiction (entered into force on January 17, 2026)
MOF responded to discussions on evaluation systems and related resolutions on marine geo-engineering activities such as marine fertilization and improvement of marine alkalinity. The Ministry also emphasized the importance of safely managing contaminated water from nuclear power plants and providing continuous, transparent information during discussions on radioactive waste management.
Moreover, it introduced the achievements of the MS in the London Protocol Engineering Management (LPEM) Program operated by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) since 2018, and promoted efforts to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to implement the London Protocol through the SMART-C* London Convention and Protocol Project**.
* S – Sustained Partnerships, M – Marine Environmental Research, A – and,
R – Research & Education, T – Technology transfer / Training,
C – Collaborative / Capacity building
** Supporting the strengthening of developing countries' capacity to implement the London Protocol through IMO / 2024–2028 / KRW 10.4 billion
“The Korean Government actively participated in discussions on international issues—such as marine geo-engineering activities—at this General Assembly. We will aggressively promote international cooperation projects that leverage our experience to contribute to the international community’s marine environment protection activities,” said Song Jong-jun, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UK and Permanent Mission to the IMO, who attended as the chief representative of Korea.
- Discussion of current marine environmental issues such as marine geo-engineering activities, sharing of Korea's cooperation achievements regarding the London Protocol
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that a government delegation attended the 48th Conference of Parties to the 21st London Convention and the London Protocol* held in London, UK—where the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is located—from Monday, October 5 to Friday, October 9.
* London Convention and Protocol: International agreements aimed at preventing marine pollution caused by the dumping of waste and other materials into the ocean. Korea ratified the London Convention in 1993 and the London Protocol in 2009.
The annual Conference of Parties reviews the status of each country's implementation of the convention and discusses measures to address new international issues related to marine environmental protection. This year's General Assembly addressed key agenda items including the evaluation framework and regulatory measures for the Marine Geo-Engineering (MGE)* program to address climate change, radioactive waste management, and cooperation and coordination measures between the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement** and the London Convention and Protocol.
* Activities for artificially modifying natural ocean processes to mitigate climate change and its impacts
** International Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Waters Outside State Jurisdiction (entered into force on January 17, 2026)
MOF responded to discussions on evaluation systems and related resolutions on marine geo-engineering activities such as marine fertilization and improvement of marine alkalinity. The Ministry also emphasized the importance of safely managing contaminated water from nuclear power plants and providing continuous, transparent information during discussions on radioactive waste management.
Moreover, it introduced the achievements of the MS in the London Protocol Engineering Management (LPEM) Program operated by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) since 2018, and promoted efforts to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to implement the London Protocol through the SMART-C* London Convention and Protocol Project**.
* S – Sustained Partnerships, M – Marine Environmental Research, A – and,
R – Research & Education, T – Technology transfer / Training,
C – Collaborative / Capacity building
** Supporting the strengthening of developing countries' capacity to implement the London Protocol through IMO / 2024–2028 / KRW 10.4 billion
“The Korean Government actively participated in discussions on international issues—such as marine geo-engineering activities—at this General Assembly. We will aggressively promote international cooperation projects that leverage our experience to contribute to the international community’s marine environment protection activities,” said Song Jong-jun, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UK and Permanent Mission to the IMO, who attended as the chief representative of Korea.
-
NEXT
-
PREV