Bureau of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention holds 88th session in Rome,Italy, 21-22 May 2019
The meeting was opened on 21 May 2019 in Rome (Italy) by Ms. Klodiana Marika (Albania), President of the Bureau. The Coordinator of UNEP/MAP—Barcelona Convention Secretariat presented progress reports on the activities carried out in the period from October 2018 to April 2019 and on the implementation of the decisions of the 20th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP20).
Bureau members examined preparations for COP21, notably the outcomes of the meetings of the Focal Points of the MAP Regional Activity Centres. The deliberations also addressed recent developments, including the recent ratification of ICZM Protocol by Malta; the finalization of the GEF MedProgramme Child Projects; the development of the 2020-2021 Programme of Work and Budget; and the need for strengthening the Secretariat in order to ensure the implementation of a new and ambitious Medium-Term Strategy from 2022.
The Bureau notably stressed the importance of a contribution by the MAP-Barcelona Convention to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Members also welcomed the process for a possible designation of the Mediterranean Sea or parts thereof as SOx emission control area under MARPOL Annex VI.