Since 2000, MERRAC has been building a strong partnership among NOWPAP Members and carried out the designated activities in the filed of oil spill preparedness and response in the NOWPAP region, with professional supports from IMO, NOWPAP RCU and UNEP. MERRAC also has achieved some important results through a series of regular or irregular meetings of national focal points and/or experts. Especially, one of the most important accomplishments is to finalize the NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan and its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

As the suggestion of UNEP at the 7th IGM (UNEP, 2002), the 9th IGM (UNEP, 2004) and NOWPAP Intersessional Workshop 2005 (UNEP, 2005a) had discussed and reviewed the expansion of the activities of Regional Activity Centres. Based upon the decision of the 10th IGM (UNEP, 2005b) which was held in Toyama in 24-26 November 2005, MERRAC activities had been expanded the regional co-operation for preparedness and response to Chemicals (HNS) spills and marine litter as well as to major oil spill incidents including the effective implementation of the Plan. MERRAC will also work in close co-operation with the IMO on marine-based pollution issues, e.g., MARPOL and OPRC. The work on tanker ballast waters including alien invasive species as well as IMO convention, and liability and compensation issues will be carried out at a later stage.