Spotlight

COP 23, the 23rd Conference of Parties to Barcelona Convention for the Mediterranean, ended its meetings in Portoroz, on the Slovenian Adriatic coast, by endorsing a bold Ministerial Declaration. Among other things, it states that parties commit to ensuring that by 2030 at least 30% of coastal and marine areas are effectively conserved and managed.

Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) participated in its capacity as Vice President of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD).

The conference agreed to advance decarbonization, including in blue economy sectors, and halt the degradation of marine and coastal biodiversity.

COP 23 also agreed on Regional Harmonized Procedures for the Uniform Implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention in the Mediterranean Sea and on a Conceptual Framework for Implementing Marine Spatial Planning in the Mediterranean.

A decision to include certain species of ray fish in protection list was opposed by 3 Arab southern Mediterranean countries that expressed concern about the socio-economic consequences of such listings, mainly on the livelihood of fishermen.