Combating oil spill accidents in Northeast Asia: A case of the NOWPAP and Hebei Spirit oil spill

Since its inception in 1994, the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) of the UNEP has devoted its efforts to prepare for and prevent oil spill accidents in the region. In 2008, it adopted the Regional Oil and HNS Spill Contingency Plan and has expanded its geographical scope for the purpose of application of the Plan. These efforts are aimed at implementing global and other regional agreements on protecting the marine environment, in particular, addressing oil spills in Northeast Asia. However, it is still unclear to what extent the NOWPAP has contributed to regional efforts in addressing regional oil spill accidents as demonstrated in the case of Hebei Spirit. Through analyzing the effectiveness of NOWPAP by focusing on the its role in boosting concern, building national capacity, and providing a contractual environment, this paper argues that NOWPAP played a limited role in responding to the Hebei Spirit accident, one of the most serious oil spill cases throughout the history of oil spill accidents in Northeast Asia.