The Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC) is one of four Regional Activity Centres to coordinate activities relevant to specific components of the Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP) which was adopted by the People¡¯s Republic of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Russian Federation as a Regional Seas Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the First Intergovernmental Meeting on NOWPAP(September 1994).

The Centre was established on 22 March 2000 within the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) / Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) in Taejon, Republic of Korea, based on the decision of the Fourth Intergovernmental Meeting on NOWPAP (April 1999), with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) duly signed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Maritime Organization (IMO) and KRISO/KORDI in July 2000.

MERRAC, with support from UNEP and IMO, coordinates various regional activities relevant to NOWPAP/4: Development of Effective Measures for Regional Cooperation in Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response, among five areas of priority for the implementation of the Action Plan. On an interim basis before establishment of a Regional Coordinating Unit, UNEP assists the MERRAC¡¯s activities to achieve the designated objectives. Also, IMO, as being the secretariat for the International Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation Convention (OPRC 90), in co-operation with UNEP, is assisting the MERRAC and NOWPAP member States in the development of a NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan and an associated regional MOU as well as other activities which fall under the NOWPAP/4 project.

The financial resources of the Centre are provided by the NOWPAP Trust Fund and the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea National Maritime Police Agency (KNMPA).