The  Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) organized Bangkok Plastics Week on 9-12 October 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.  

Bangkok Plastics Week was a series of capacity development events and workshops on data monitoring approaches and regional cooperation to address marine plastic pollution. Government officials from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the People's Republic of China, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam attended the event. These events aimed to share best practices, tools, and approaches for data collection, analysis, and management of plastic pollution and marine litter to meet local and national needs, achieve regional priorities, and track progress against global goals. The events also provided a platform for networking, partnerships for collaboration, and peer learning. 

Bangkok Plastics Week Schedule of Events:   

• 9 October: Advancing Data Analysis and Data Comparability in the East Asian Seas, led by COBSEA. A capacity development event to apply recommended monitoring approaches and to interpret and manage data for better policies, actions, and tracking effectiveness.   
• 10 October: Strategies for Plastic Waste Data Collection and Management: Foundations for National and City Action Plans co-facilitated by ADB and COBSEA. A capacity development event to learn best practices, tools, and approaches for monitoring plastic pollution and marine litter for country-specific evidence-based actions tailored to specific country contexts.   
• 11 October: Working Group 3, Localizing a Global Mandate: The Role of Regional Bodies and Stakeholders, as part of Day 1 of the Global Plastics Summit, organized by Economist Impact. A working group session co-facilitated by COBSEA and ADB, as supporting organizations, on the role of regional bodies and stakeholders in implementing the global plastics treaty at a local level. 
  • ADB and COBSEA co-facilitated one working group session as supporting organizations on Day 1 of the Global Plastics Summit. The Summit itself is organized by the Economist Impact.
• 12 October: Group Attendance, Day 2, Global Plastics Summit. ADB and COBSEA co-facilitated group participation for Bangkok Plastics Week delegates to attend the Global Plastics Summit, organized by the Economist Impact. 

For the Key Takeaways Report, please download or view it here.