The 21st NOWPAP intergovernmental meeting was held on 23-24 November 2016 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The major goal of this meeting is to start discussing NOWPAP future that has to be connected to the evolving global and regional oceans agenda. Proposed for the meeting Mid-term Strategy 2018-2023 and its implementation plan utilize a holistic approach to tackle multiple regional challenges and make several important suggestions on how to revitalize and expand NOWPAP partnership.

The aims of the workshop were to consider water quality monitoring in the context of management of water resources and to introduce the new Sustainable Development Goal indicator for ambient water quality. The workshop also aimed to identify capacity development needs for water quality monitoring in Africa. Proposed GEMS/Water training courses were discussed and on-line delivery of training was demonstrated. The workshop provided a valuable overview of the water quality monitoring situation in a cross-section of African countries.