Hosted by Plastics SA as co-signatory of the Honolulu Commitment with other international plastic associations and supported by UNEP, the Department of Environmental Affairs, 120 delegates from various academic institutions, government departments, conservation and animal welfare organisations, media, plastics industry members and concerned citizens formed the summit.
Ten of the delegates were from African Countries, (Kenya, Nigeria, Seychelles, Cameroun, Ivory Coast, Mozambique and Namibia) and some delegates were from Europe and Australia.
The summit has served a platform for a formal network to be managed by UNEP for African countries on an issue that does not receive the same attention as in the developed countries. The ills associated with a growing population and increasing economic growth will lead to an increase in marine litter from Africa.
The goals of the summit were met in the following ways:
The most important outcome of the event is the establishment of a Network for African Countries on Marine Debris which will be administered by UNEP and technologically supported by Plastics SA and its partners.
Plans are already afoot to promote and workshop the network at the Second Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections to be held in October 2013 in Jamaica as it meets all the objectives of this conference. In short, Africa will start, although in a small way, the long path of the fight against marine debris and stop making plastics the pariah of the packaging industry.