The United Nations Environment Programme Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be launching on 16 January the “State of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Environment Report” for year 2012, in Ankara, Turkey, in coordination with the UNDP Turkey and the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.
The event is set to gather high-ranking officials from Turkey, representatives of the contracting parties of the Barcelona Convention, in Turkey, as well as NGOs partners to the UNEP/MAP.
Progress in implementing the Barcelona Convention and challenges ahead
The report comes within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) – Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean. İt is structured around 11 ecosystem objectives agreed by the parties to the Convention last year. İt builds on the first Integrated Assessment of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Ecosystem and was produced in full consultation with countries and stakeholders.
İt provides information on the overall nature of Mediterranean ecosystems and defines pressures affecting the state of Mediterranean’s environment, to which 21 countries have coast. It also offers detailed information on the vital services that coastal and marine habitats provide to their inhabitants.
Being a governance framework, the most important function of MAP is to be a catalyst, facilitating ownership, cooperation and decision making by the contracting parties of the Barcelona Convention, who, in turn, have committed to report to the UNEP/MAP Secretariat on legal, administrative, or other measures undertaken by them to implement the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, as well as on the effectiveness of these measures and problems encountered.
In this respect, the report, provides information about trends in the Mediterranean environment and feedback to continue improving the effectiveness of the work undertaken.
Turkey’s leading project also to be explained
Along with the launching of the report, the meeting is also set to evaluate the progress achieved on Turkey’s coasts through the “Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of Turkey” Project.
The results of the Rio+20 with regard to marine and coastal areas will also be evaluated in terms of the future sustainable development agenda in the same meeting.
Meeting for the launching of the State of the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Environment Report
Date: Wednesday 16 January 2013, Time: 09:30
Venue: UN House Birlik Mah. 415. Cad. No: 11 Çankaya, Ankara
