Since the First Meeting of NOWPAP Forum on Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response (Toyama, July 1997), the NOWPAP Members had developed the NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan (Plan) and the "Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Regional Co-operation Regarding Preparedness and Response to Oil Spills in the Marine Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region" in order to promote regional co-operation and to enhance existing national and regional capabilities with regard to preparedness and response to marine pollution incidents.

Through a total five Focal Points Meetings and two Expert Meetings that have taken place since 1997, the drafts of the Plan and MoU were finally agreed by the 5th NOWPAP MERRAC Focal Points Meeting (MERRAC, May 2002) and forwarded to the 8th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) for apporval. The 8th NOWPAP IGM (Sanya, November 2003) adopted the Plan as technical and operational guidelines for regional co-operation in cases of oil spill emergencies in the NOWPAP region, and approved the text of the MoU.

The MoU signed by ministerial level were presented to MERRAC from NOWPAP Members at the ceremony of the signature of the MoU on NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan (Busan, November 2004). As this, the NOWPAP region is now in a better state of preparedness and response for oil spills, as each of the NOWPAP Members is able to request assistance from the other members in the case of emergencies caused by large oil spill accidents.

In order to deal with the issues related to the implementation of the NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan, the 7th NOWPAP MERRAC Focal Points Meeting (MERRAC, May 2004) decided that the 'Competent National Authorities Meeting for NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan (CNA Meeting)' be organized once a year. The 1st CNA Meeting was held in conjunction with 8th MERRAC Focal Points Meeting in 2005.

The MERRAC is the entity responsible for the administration and co-ordination of the Plan in the cooperation with national competent authorities. As the body responsible for the administration of the Plan, the Centre will keep the Plan up-to-date by receiving and distributing changes submitted by the member States.