14th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention

TEMA attended the 14th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols which took place in Portoroz (Slovenia), from 8 to 11 November 2005.

During 14th COP, the coordinator of UNEP-MAP gave a presentation on the outcome of the external evaluation for the future orientation of the Mediterranean Action Plan. He recalled that the evaluation report comprises positive and negative findings. An extraordinary meeting of MAP Focal Points was proposed for 2006 to discuss the report and the future orientation of MAP.

The Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) was adopted during the conference. The strategy being a framework document has four main objectives:

• Enhance and build on the Mediterranean assets,
• Reduce disparities by fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals,
• Ensure sustainable management of natural resources by changing consumption and production patters
• Improve governance at the local, national and regional level.

The adoption of the MSSD was welcomed as a point of reference for sustainable development in the region. The biggest strength of the strategy is the participatory preparation process. It was emphasized that, it was now time to prepare national strategies.

MAP and European Commission signed historic cooperation agreement during the Conference. MAP and European Commission launched a joint work programme to strengthen their mutual cooperation on a wide range of Mediterranean environmental and sustainable development issues.

The Environment Ministers and government officials from 21 Mediterranean countries and the European Community adopted the Portoroz Declaration, which includes a wide-ranging strategy for regional sustainable development. The Declaration set out guidelines for two major MAP programmes on land-based pollution sources and biodiversity while launching a process to review MAPs future activities. Under the Declaration, the Contracting Parties committed themselves to do their utmost to implement the MAPs objectives as appropriate. Other decisions under the declaration related to National Action Plans, which will receive support of $75 million from the Global Environment Facility. Contracting Parties urged that the Strategic Action Plans and National Action Plans should contribute to the proposed Eur-Mediterranean Partnership initiative to de-pollute the Mediterranean by 2020 due to be adopted by the Euro-Mediterranean Summit in Barcelona, 27-28 November. The endangered Mediterranean monk seal will also benefit from a series of agreed actions to prevent its extinction and protect its habitat.