News

The theme of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day celebrates efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more on the global observance of IWD 2021.

This special feature prepared by UNEP/MAP and the Regional Activity Centres SCP/RAC and SPA/RAC on the occasion of the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day aims to highlight the accomplishments of some (among many) of the everyday female heroes who embody the principles enshrined in the Barcelona Convention through their work.  

The UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention Secretariat participated in the Online Sub-Regional Workshop titled “Assistance for the implementation of the Barcelona Convention” that the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument of the European Commission (TAIEX) organized online on 16-17 February 2021.

A new report titled "30 by 30: Scenarios to recover biodiversity and rebuild fish stocks in the Mediterranean" by WWF sheds new light on the importance of conservation and advocates for bolder action to ensure that 30 per cent of the Mediterranean Sea be protected by 2030—an objective under negotiation within the UN Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) and enshrined in two landmark strategic plans currently being prepared by SPA/RAC, the

(This article was updated on 6 April 2021) On 17 February 2021, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre REMPEC received a request for assistance from Israeli authorities regarding the beaching of large quantities of tar balls on Israel’s shoreline. As of 23 February, the volume of tar balls collected along the shoreline had reached an estimated 1,000 cubic metres.

The “contribution of the environmental dimension of sustainable development to building a resilient and inclusive post-pandemic world” was discussed by delegates taking part in the Leadership Dialogues during the Fifth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5). Mr. Gaetano Leone, Coordinator of UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Secretariat, made the following (pre-recorded) statement.

On 16 February 2021 Plan Bleu, a Regional activity Centre of UNEP/MAP, and the Tunisian Ministry of Local Affairs and Environment co-organized an online conference on the State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean (SoED) report and how its findings can feed into plans for sustainable development in Tunisia.

The theme of the 2021 edition of World Wetlands Day (2 February) is “Wetlands and water”. It is an occasion to ponder the crucial role of Mediterranean wetlands.

Lire en français Mediterranean coastal cities and local authorities are invited to submit their applications for the third edition of the Istanbul Environment Friendly City Award (IEFCA). The deadline for the submission of applications for the Istanbul Environment Friendly City Award has been extended until 5 April 2021, 11:59 p.m. Athens time.

Lire en français The January 2021 issue of the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Secretariat’s newsletter “MED News”, produced by INFO-RAC, is now available online.

On 14 December 2020, a mere 48 hours after the Climate Ambition Summit, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) organized an online encounter with its members and with lawmakers from across the region.

Ninety participants, including representatives of twenty (out of twenty-two) Contracting Parties and of several MAP Partners, as well as scientists and experts from across the Mediterranean region, took part in the Integrated Meetings of the Ecosystem Approach Correspondence Groups on IMAP Implementation (CORMONs), which took place online from 1-3 December 2020.

The UNEP/MAP Coordinator Gaetano Leone reflects on the universal ratification of the 1995 Amendments to the Barcelona Convention

In addition to bolstering the management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean, the IMAP-MPA project (funded by the European Union) is supporting the uptake and implementation of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP), a landmark instrument adopted by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention with a

On 6 November 2020 Gaetano Leone, Coordinator of the UN Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), took part in the webinar organized by Legambiente and titled “Networking for tackling marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea”, which took place in the context of the digital edition of Ecomondo, an international event dedicated to green tech

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in cooperation with the Open Universiteit of the Netherlands, will launch the 4th free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Marine Litter as a key activity of The Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML). It is also part of the Clean Seas Campaign. The MOOC’s aim is to stimulate leadership and offer opportunities for actionable and change oriented learning, related to marine litter and microplastics.

Representatives of international media organizations attended a briefing on the State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean (SoED) report, which has been produced by UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre Plan Bleu.

On 29 September 2020 UNEP/MAP and its Mediterranean Marine Litter Node, in coordination with the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), hosted a webinar to shed light on the mooted issue of plastic waste caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ocean literacy will be the focus of the Mediterranean online workshop, which will take place on Coast Day (25 September 2020) at 14:00 - 16:30 CEST. Co-organized and facilitated by ACTeon (coordinator of the EU4Ocean coalition), the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention system, with the Regional Activity Centres Plan Bleu (PB/RAC) and Priority Actions Programme (PAP/RAC) as co-organizers, EMSEA Med and the BlueMed initiative, the online workshop provides an opportunity to build promising ocean literacy actions in a participatory and inclusive manner.

Copenhagen/Athens, 21 September 2020 – Achieving a cleaner Mediterranean Sea requires better implementation of policies and enhanced environmental data and information, according to a joint report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and United Nations Environment Programme’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), published today. Cumulative effects of waste and marine litter, and wastewater and industrial emissions remain key challenges for the region.

The Mediterranean needs you A message from Gaetano Leone, Coordinator, UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Secretariat

Maritime traffic and offshore oil and gas exploration and production constitute important drivers of marine pollution in the Mediterranean.

On Monday 7 September the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) organized a global online event to mark the first edition of International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

The Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP)—Barcelona Convention Secretariat is marking the first edition of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on 7 September 2020.

This op-ed by Gaetano Leone, Coordinator, Mediterranean Action Plan of the United Nations Environment Programme, Barcelona Convention Secretariat, first appeared on 24 August 2020 with the title "A roadmap to cut shipping emissions in the Mediterranean" in EURACTIV Lire en français