Representatives of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention their 20th Ordinary meeting in Tirana, Albania, discussed "Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with focus on Sustainable Development Goal 14: Pollution and Biodiversity" during the high-level session which was held on 19th December 2018.

During COP, the IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) in addition to other Mediterranean participants, discussed the progress achieved in the implementation of the programme 2016-2017 and made concerted decisions on activities to enhance environmental protection and sustainable development in the Mediterranean region.

The meeting also elected the members Bureau of the Contracting Parties which will serve for 2018-2019: Albania (President), Italy, Cyprus, Tunisia (Vice-presidents), and Montenegro (Rapporteur). It also revised and discussed the Implementation of the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean, Governance and the implementation and Monitoring of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2016-2025 The programme also included a conferring ceremony for the "Istanbul Environment Friendly City Award", which was awarded to the city of Izmir (Turkey).

IUCN-Med supports the efforts and congratulates the Secretariat for the progress made in the implementation of its agreement with the UNEP-MAP Partners. In particular, IUCN would like to promote a special collaboration and cooperation through a joint approach towards a common strategy, as key for the implementation of global agendas in the Mediterranean, with special emphasis on pelagic species and deep sea habitats and the need to urgently address the existing
gaps.

Finally, IUCN-Med will continue to encourage the UNEP-MAP secretariat to achieve the implementation of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, through its collaboration with the RAC and the regional partners by bringing knowledge, capacity building and policy recommendations.

For further information, contact Marie-Aude Sevin

Photo: UNEP-MAP