PAP/RAC participated in the 11th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC11), which brought together more than 400 participants from around the world under the theme “Shared Waters, Transformative Solutions: Enabling Systems Change.”
Over four days, the conference provided a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, networking and learning across the GEF International Waters portfolio, through plenary discussions, workshops, technical sessions and site visits.
A particular highlight was the participation of representatives from the Ministries responsible for environment and water in Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco and Tunisia, who shared their experiences and progress achieved through the GEF MedProgramme. While country representatives brought national experiences and achievements to the discussion, the UNEP/MAP Coordinator provided the regional perspective, highlighting the Mediterranean vision, governance framework and policy integration that connect these efforts across the region.
Together with colleagues from UNEP and across the UNEP/MAP system, PAP/RAC highlighted the strong regional cooperation in the Mediterranean. PAP/RAC’s activities within the MedProgramme are deeply rooted in the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM Protocol) for the Mediterranean and build on the achievements of previous GEF-supported initiatives, including the MedPartnership, GEF-Adriatic and SAP-MED. Over nearly two decades of cooperation, GEF support has made a lasting contribution to advancing integrated coastal zone management and marine spatial planning across the Mediterranean.
IWC11 provided an opportunity not only to share the results achieved so far, but also to exchange lessons with partners from other regions and explore approaches that can support transformative change in the management of shared waters.
PAP/RAC looks forward to continuing to build on this strong foundation together with its national, regional and international partners.