Good morning!
The celebrated naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, called the Mediterranean “The First Eden”. It has a special place in human history as a nexus between three continents: an early superhighway of trade and cultural exchange.
It is also a region, like everywhere on Earth, that is facing the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change.
For 50 years, the Regional Seas Programme has brought together diverse partners to protect the common waters between them. And leading the way has been the Mediterranean Action Plan – the Barcelona Convention.
This robust legal platform, consistently aligned with international law, was the first of 18 such conventions and plans, of which 14 were established under UNEP’s guidance.
It is a shining example of how regional governance mechanisms can spur collective action on environmental protection.
The Convention is as active as ever. Recent successes include the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean which is the world’s first such legally binding framework and a model for other regions, especially in light of the much-anticipated global treaty on plastic pollution.
Large new Marine Protected Areas have recently been created, by Algeria, Libya, and Albania.
And last year, the International Maritime Organization brokered a deal to significantly reduce air pollution from shipping in the entire Mediterranean. We implore parties to this Convention to redouble efforts to meet the 2050 goal of net-zero shipping emissions.
I am delighted to observe a strong commitment from the parties involved in the Barcelona Convention and the Mediterranean Action Plan towards the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. I am encouraged by plans for action to ensure that by 2030, at least 30 percent of coastal and marine areas are effectively conserved and managed.
Recently, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction was adopted by consensus and is currently in the process of being ratified. The significance of this Convention, along with the MAP, cannot be overstated in terms of bringing it into force.
But, colleagues, more needs to be done.
UNEP’s report on the State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean warns that “unless urgent and resolute action is taken to halt current trends, environmental degradation could have serious and lasting consequences for human health and livelihoods in the region”.
We urge the Convention Parties to put a stop to the degradation of marine and coastal biodiversity by effectively implementing the Mediterranean region’s own post-2020 Biodiversity Framework.
We advocate for the regional-level implementation of the global framework for chemicals adopted at the 5th International Conference on Chemicals Management in September this year.
UNEP remains resolute as a steadfast partner in the pursuit of sustainable ocean governance. We are dedicated to supporting member states to achieve shared objectives for people and the planet. We urge all stakeholders – parties, governments, and society as a whole – to raise our ambitions and accelerate our actions at global, regional, and national levels.
The solutions lie within reach. We have to reduce threats to biodiversity. We must meet people's needs sustainably and equitably. And we must stop subsidising harmful industries and activities.
Ahead of next February’s UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, and the UN Ocean Conference in 2025 in Nice, France, let us harness this global momentum. And strengthen our commitment to preserving this Mediterranean Sea, and all of our precious ocean, for present and future generations.
Thank you.
