20th Meeting of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development

When: 14-16 June 2023

Where: Marseille, France

The Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) will hold its 20th session on 14-16 June 2023. The meeting is convened by the Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP), which is based in Athens, Greece. The meeting is hosted by France. 

Established in 1995, by virtue of Article 4 of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), adopted in 1976 under the auspices of UNEP/MAP and amended in 1995, the MCSD is an advisory body to the Contracting Parties (21 coastal countries and the European Union) to assist them in their efforts to integrate environmental issues in their socioeconomic programmes and to promote sustainable development policies in the Mediterranean region.

Acting as a forum for experience sharing and peer learning, the Commission is unique in its composition and includes not only government representatives but also local authorities, socio-economic actors, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, the scientific community and parliamentarians. All MCSD members participate in its meetings on an equal footing.

During the three days of deliberations, participants will examine the region’s progress towards sustainable development. The agenda includes:

• A review of flagship initiatives implemented by a variety of institutions, including civil society organizations, to contribute to the implementation of the Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development (MSSD); 
• Six scenarios for the Mediterranean, considering past and current trends, and pathways for a transition to a greener, more resilient region (based on the MED 2050 Foresight Study carried out by Plan Bleu, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre specializing in sustainable development); 
• Opportunities and best practices for tapping the full potential of a sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean, including in the crucial sectors of tourism and maritime transport; 
• Translating global progress on biodiversity (The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Treaty addressing marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction); 
• The Mediterranean contribution to the ongoing negotiations for a global instrument addressing plastic pollution; 
• Youth action to advance the Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development.