MERRAC: The Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre

• 1994 The Northwest Pacific
  Action Plan (NOWPAP)
  was adopted
   
• 2000.03MERRAC was established in
  KRISO/KIOST, Daejeon,
  ROK by the decision of the 4th
  NOWPAP Intergovernmental meeting
• 2000.07 MoU among
  UNEP,IMO and
  KRISO/KIOST
   
• 2003 NOWPAP Regional oil spill
  Contingency Plan
  (RCP) was adopted
   
• 2008 NOWPAP Regional oil and
  HNS spill Contingency Plan
  (RCP) was adopted
   

The Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC) is one of four Regional Activity Centres (RACs) of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP). It is responsible for regional cooperation in the field of marine pollution prevention and response in the Northwest Pacific region and is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The Centre was established on 22 March 2000 in Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO, former MOERI) / Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST, former KORDI) in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, following the decision of the Fourth NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (April 1999). The Memorandum of Understanding relating to the establishment and operation of MERRAC was duly signed by the UNEP, IMO and MOERI/KORDI in July 2000.

MERRAC is currently functioning as secretariat for the NOWPAP MERRAC Focal Points Meetings, Competent National Authorities Meeting, Expert Meetings, and the NOWPAP Regional Oil and HNS Spill Contingency Plan. MERRAC also manages MERRAC specific projects and website.

The operation of MERRAC is financially supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea. This support includes operational costs such as personal salaries, travel expenses and other miscellaneous cost, except in cases where these are budgeted for specific projects, funded from the NOWPAP Trust Fund.