Mediterranean countries and the European Union meeting in Paris have
called for a 'blue' economy to be set up to safeguard and promote a
clean, healthy, productive Mediterranean environment. The call came as the issued their closing communique – the Paris
Declaration – as the 17th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP17)
to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment
and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols drew to
an end after three days of talks in Paris this week.
In his opening speech, France’s Ambassador for the Environment, Jean-Pierre Thébault, who chaired the meeting, said: "In
this very symbolic year for the environment, I express the wish that
the Mediterranean Action Plan remains ambitious and leads by example,
showing the way towards Rio+20." The Paris Declaration reflects this ambition. The 22 countries want a 'blue' economy, a version of the Green Economy
that is applied to seas and oceans, and hope to see a strategic policy
framework adopted at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20) in Brazil in June.
The world’s marine ecosystems provide essential food and livelihoods to
millions of people. UNEP’s research shows how a switch to the more
sustainable Green Economy model could unlock the vast potential of the
marine-based economy and at the same time significantly reduce ocean
degradation while alleviating poverty. UNEP defines the Green Economy as
one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while
significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. "The time has come for us to rethink how we manage our oceans," said Achim Steiner, executive Director of UNEP and Under Secretary General of the UN. "They
are a key pillar for many countries of their economic and social
development, and are vital in the fight against poverty. But too many of
these essential natural resources are being degraded by unsustainable
use, putting the ecosystems services they provide, such as food security
and climate regulations for instance, at risk. Management decisions and investments that put the well-being of the
oceans are essential if we are to continue to profit from this rich
natural resource. A 'blue' economy in the Mediterranean and elsewhere
would be a big step on the right path."
The meeting welcomed the progress that had been made in 2011 in
reinforcing the fight against deterioration of the Mediterranean sea
with the entry into force of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) protocol and the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean
Sea against Pollution resulting from Exploration and Exploitation of
the Continental Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil (the 'Offshore'
Protocol). These two-world first protocols recognize the Mediterranean environment
as a critical and shared resource, and promote and promote a
co-operative and holistic approach to its management.
In the Paris Declaration, the Contracting Parties also:
Reaffirmed their political commitment to the sustainable
development of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal zones through an
ecosystem approach to the management of human activities.
Agreed to develop a coherent, well-managed network of marine
protected areas in the Mediterranean, aiming for a target of 10 per cent
of marine protected areas by 2020.
Decided to intensify their efforts to curb marine pollution from
land-based sources, such as mercury, Persistent Organic Pollutants and
marine litter, by adopting legally binding measures, and reduce
pollution from offshore and marine-based activities though regional
action plans.
Adopted the action plan for the implementation of the Integrated
Coastal Zone Management Protocol, and encouraged all Contracting Parties
to ratify it.
Agreed to work to protect the conservation and sustainable use of
marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction through the
implementation of existing instruments and through the development of a
multilateral agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea.
Supported the preparation by 2014 of a report on the state of the
marine environment, including from a socioeconomic perspective.
The Barcelona Convention entered into force in 1978, after
Mediterranean countries and the European Community had, three years
earlier, adopted the Mediterranean Action Plan, the first-ever Regional
Seas Programme under the umbrella of the United Nations Environment
Programme. The convention was amended and renamed in 1995; and that
version came into force in 2004. The 22 Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention are: Albania,
Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, the European
Union, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco,
Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.
Paris Declaration, 10 February 2012 – Version française
Mediterranean Action Plan