In the last few decades, plastic pollution has rapidly emerged as one of the most significant threats to the world’s oceans. Like other regions around the world, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is also plagued by the adverse impacts of plastic pollution. This issue is particularly threatening to ASEAN Member States (AMS) due to their reliance on the region’s marine resources for the sustenance, livelihoods, and economies of their communities. While AMS, individually and collectively, have taken action to address the issue, it is imperative that collaborative efforts are continuously sustained to prevent further negative impacts and effectively tackle the problem.

Against this backdrop, the ASEAN Conference on Combatting Plastic Pollution (ACCPP) was convened for the first time in 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia, followed by the second conference in Vientiane, Lao PDR, and the third in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the respective ASEAN Chairmanships of these countries. The conference serves as a regional platform for stakeholders to convene, exchange knowledge, and explore collaborative strategies to address plastic pollution, bringing together hundreds of participants at each event. Each year, the conference concludes with the development of an event report capturing recommendations derived from the various sessions.

Building on the success of the three conferences, the Philippines, as the next ASEAN Chair, agreed to continue the regional discussions by hosting ACCPP 2026 in Manila. This annual conference aims to sustain the momentum built through previous conferences, strengthen regional commitments, and expand the scope of dialogue among various stakeholders. The fourth iteration of the Conference carries the theme 'One Region, One Vision: Advancing Knowledge and Building Regional Capacity to End Plastic Pollution' and aims to bring together more than 400 international participants, both in person and online, from across the region and beyond.