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UN Environment/MAP Coordinator Gaetano Leone attended the 14th meeting of the thematic focal points for Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity held in Portorož, Slovenia, on 18-21 June 2019.

By Gaetano Leone, UN Environment/MAP Coordinator

80 delegates representing the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), UN Environment, governmental and non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector met in Malta on 11-13 June 2019 to step up regional cooperation on the prevention of and response to pollution from ships in the Mediterranean.

The UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan system will mark World Oceans Day, which aims at raising awareness about the crucial role that the oceans play in poverty eradication, global food security, human health, economic development and the global response to climate change.

Holding our breath for a breakthrough in the Mediterranean

REMPEC supported and contributed to the organisation of the 4th edition of the Adriatic Oil Spill Conference (ADRIASPILLCON 2019) held in Opatija, Croatia, between 28 and 30 May 2019, by financing the participation of representatives from the region through the International Maritime Organization’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme and by encouraging a dialogue on the development of a sub-regional contingency plan for the Adriatic region.

At the invitation of the Government of Montenegro, the MCSD will convene in Budva on 11-13 June 2019 with the participation of delegates of the 22 Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and 18 representatives of 6 stakeholder groups, including local authorities, socio-economic actors, civil society/NGOs, intergovernmental organisations, scientists and Parliamentarians.

Both marine litter and air pollution from ships -- two issues on which the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) works in close cooperation with relevant international organisations and Mediterranean coastal States-- featured prominently at two important events that took place in France and the UK earlier this month. G7 ministerial meeting in Metz, France (5-6 May)

In the framework of this year’s G7 Ministers of Environment Meeting, UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) in collaboration with the French Presidency and support by the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea, organized a successful second Workshop on the Implementation of the G7 Action Plan to Combat Marine Litter, in Synergy with the Regional Seas Conventions.

With up to 12 million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year, marine plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. It is a problem without a silver bullet and addressing it in an effective manner requires the involvement of all. Governments need to legislate, the private sector needs to innovate and citizens need to be engaged and aware.

Participants from 16 Mediterranean countries attended the training workshop “MSP as a tool for the implementation of ICZM Protocol in the Mediterranean”, which was held in Zagreb (Croatia), on 9-10 April 2019, with the view to supporting the establishment of a common basis and understanding of the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) implementation across the Mediterranean region, within the Barcelona Convention system and in line with its provisions and main principles.

Pair trawling is when two ships travel in parallel several hundred metres apart towing a huge net which indiscriminately scoops up marine animals in its path.

The Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD) is a multi-stakeholder platform for SDG solutions, organized by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in close cooperation with the Regional UN System. The Regional Forum follows up on and reviews the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UNECE region.

The kick-off meeting of the programme “Developing and strengthening an effective Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) management”, was held in Torre del Cerrano, Italy on 26 February 2019. The new programme represents a major component of the Bilateral Cooperation Agreement signed between the Italian Ministry of Environment Land Use and Sea (IMELS) and the UN Environment - Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) – Barcelona Convention Secretariat, in support of MAP programme of work activities.

The continuous growth in the amount of solid waste thrown away, and the very slow rate of degradation of most items, are together leading to a gradual increase in marine litter found at sea, on the sea floor and coastal shores. In the Adriatic, MAP is cooperating with the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection (IMELS) to provide concrete support to enhance marine litter management.  In the Adriatic, 1.5 kg of waste produced per habitant per day on average

On 10-14 December 2018, MAP will participate to the Fish Forum 2018 organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (FAO-GFCM). The event will encompass oceanographic, social science and economic perspectives on fisheries research. It will review leading work that has been carried out, while also addressing the pillars for the development of fisheries science.

The Mediterranean forest area has increased by two percent between 2010 and 2015, resulting in a rise of 1.8 million hectares – about the size of Slovenia, says a new FAO-Plan Bleu report "State of Mediterranean Forests 2018". But forests in the Mediterranean have also been considerably affected by degradation and are increasingly in jeopardy from climate change, population rise, wildfires and water scarcity, the report warns.   

Over 4,000 participants from around the world will meet from November 26 to 28, 2018 at the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. At this occasion MAP and Plan Bleu have joined force with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and WWF to organize a side event focusing on the Mediterranean. Ocean-related activities in the Mediterranean Sea represent 20% of the world’s annual Global Marine Product in an area which makes up only 1% of the world’s oceans.

The updated list of endangered or threatened species found in the Mediterranean entered into force in September 2018. It now includes 10 additional bird species classified as endangered or threatened. This list is established under the Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Protocol (SPA/BD Protocol) of the Barcelona Convention. The Mediterranean is home of several hundred bird species

The Istanbul Environment Friendly City Award aims to recognize and reward the efforts of local authorities to improve the environment and the quality of life and promote sustainable development in Mediterranean coastal towns and cities. It also aims to encourage local authorities to move towards a more environment friendly future and enable them to act as a role-model to inspire other towns and cities.

On October 9 and 10, MAP organized a regional meeting on ‘Marine Litter Best Practices’ in Izmir, Turkey. The meeting brought together Mediterranean Governments, experts and NGOs. One of the priority issue discussed was the phasing out of single-use plastic bags. Today, the threats plastic pose are more and more known, and studies show that phasing out plastic bags will not only benefit the environment, but also the economy.    The age of plastic

On 24 October, the United Nations (UN) and Greek flags will fly along-side each other on the Acropolis of Athens. Representatives of the United Nations, of the Hellenic Authorities and of the Region of Attica will gather in the cradle of democracy to watch the flag raising ceremony. The flag hoisting ceremony will be followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square. The wreath will be laid by Gaetano Leone, the Head of the UN lead agency in Greece, UN Environment.

The Mediterranean is one of the most overfished region in the world, with disastrous impacts on our marine ecosystems and biodiversity, imperiling livelihoods and economic prosperity. On 22-23 October, Gaetano Leone, MAP’s coordinator, participated in the 42 Session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) organized in Rome. He highlighted here ongoing cooperation efforts, aiming to achieve SDG14 in a coordinated manner, in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between GFCM and MAP.

On 15 October 2018, the Mediterranean Assistance Unit (MAU) celebrates its 25th anniversary. For a quarter century, MAU provided immediate expert assistance at no cost for the Mediterranean coastal States to respond to oil and chemical spills at sea.  The Mediterranean Assistance Unit (MAU)

Following the successful 2016 edition hosted by the USA, the 2017 Our Ocean Conference, hosted by the EU, took place in Malta on 5 and 6 October 2017 and was attended by a large number of eminent persons, senior government representatives, civil society and the private sector. The Our Ocean Conference aims to mobilize joint solutions and to secure ambitious commitments towards the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans.