THE MCSD CALLS FOR A GREEN RENAISSANCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
Considerable changes have occurred in the Mediterranean region, not least a disruptive COVID-19 pandemic that has caused suffering and destruction in its wake, with deep ramifications affecting both the environment and socio-economic systems. The pandemic has put hard-won gains in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in jeopardy. This was one of the central issues that the 19th Meeting of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD), the inclusive advisory body established under the Barcelona Convention (Article 4), pored over during three days (7-9 June 2021) of reflections and debate.
Hosted virtually by Slovenia, the meeting reviewed progress in the implementation of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD), a region-specific blueprint for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs that the Contracting Parties adopted in December 2015. In his opening statement, H.E. Andrej Vizjak, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning of Slovenia, invited the MCSD to formulate clear proposals for a green renaissance in the Mediterranean.