From 12 to 16 July, accompanied by Margarita Astrlaga, Director of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in Málaga, IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefvre paid her first official visit to IUCN members, partners and donors in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, to consolidate joint activities in the framework of the IUCN Programme for North Africa 2008-2012.

Coordination and information events were held with national committees, relevant ministries, potential partners such as the Gene Bank in Tunisia, keen to explore collaboration opportunities with IUCN, or the CITET, which collaborates with the Ministry of Environment in Tunisia and is helping expand the communication of environmental issues at national level. Other institutions active in the area, such as UNDP, RAC/SPA, GTZ, and Spanish Cooperation representatives were also met.

Members in North Africa welcomed the idea of organising an information meeting on IUCN at national level and/or regional, to make IUCN's work known to a wider constituency. In Morocco, some of the issues discussed included international cooperation for the conservation of the North Africa macaque, artisanal fisheries, forest fires and protected areas, both marine and terrestrial. Of particular interest was the IUCN project to help develop an Action Plan for the Al Hoceima National Park.

In Algeria, priorities identified concerned the assistance for the protection of terrestrial and marine natural resources, including drylands and steppes, sea governance, aquaculture, and climate change negotiations. The Algeria Ministry of Environment (MATET) requested IUCN-Med to support them in the establishment of a new desert protected area (Tinerkouk) near Timimoun (Grand Erg Occidental). This first mission took place in October 2009 to visit the area together with MATET staff and identify joint actions that IUCN Med can take the lead in the process of establishing, providing resources and managing this new protected area.

Other recommendations from organisations visited included the need for recruitment of new members in the region, forming new alliances with new constituencies, and the development of concrete activities, such as an initiative to protect oasis, the organisation of a regional meeting on marine resources or a preparatory meeting on Desertification for Copenhagen next December, to increase the visibility of IUCN projects in the area and to promote closer contacts with UNDP and other international and regional donors and organisations active in these countries.

Morocco counts 4 IUCN members, Algeria 3 and Tunisia 6 members. The possibility of opening a new office for the North Africa Programme in Tunisia was also welcome, to help implement activities at national and regional level, subject to funding available.