21st Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols - COP21
The 21st Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) and its Protocols will take place on 2-5 December 2019 in Castel dell’Ovo, a historic castle by the sea located in the Gulf of Naples.
Ministers representing the 22 Contracting Parties of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, the Executive Director of UNEP, Ms. Inger Andersen, representatives of stakeholders and distinguished guests will attend the Ministerial Segment on 4 December 2019.
COP 21 will consider for adoption a number of draft decisions related to governance of the UNEP/MAP—Barcelona Convention system as well as to thematic issues. Furthermore, Cop 21 will discuss and eventually adopt the UNEP/MAP Programme of Work and Budget for 2020-2021.
Governance-related themes include, inter alia, the evaluation of the current UNEP/MAP Mid-Term Strategy and the preparation of the new one for 2022-2027, the Operational Communication Strategy, the roadmap for the preparation of a Data Management Policy, issues of cooperation and partnerships, as well as the work of the Compliance Committee – the body established in 2008 to advise and assist the Contracting Parties in meeting their obligations under the Convention and its Protocols and, to facilitate, promote, monitor and ensure such compliance.
Other draft decisions related to governance focus on the mid-term evaluation of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (2016–2025) and of the regional Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Mediterranean; as well as on environmental assessments in the Mediterranean, including the 2019 State of the Environment and Development Report and a preliminary assessment of risks associated to climate and environmental changes in the Mediterranean Region. Read more