From 2 to 5 December, the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (COP24Med) was held in Cairo, Egypt, under the theme “Sustainable Blue Economy for a Resilient and Healthy Mediterranean.” The meeting brought together representatives of 21 Mediterranean countries and the European Union, alongside key regional and international stakeholders, for high-level discussions on the most pressing environmental challenges facing the Mediterranean region.
COP24 marked an important institutional milestone, with Egypt assuming the Presidency of the Meeting of the Contracting Parties for the first time. The meeting was opened by Manal Awad Mikhail, Egypt’s Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment; Mitja Bricelj, President of the Barcelona Convention Bureau; Alberto Pacheco Capella, Chief of UNEP’s Regional Seas Branch; and Tatjana Hema, Coordinator of UNEP/MAP.
During COP24, Contracting Parties reviewed and discussed several strategic documents, including the draft Programme of Work and Budget for 2026–2027, the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2026–2035, and the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Framework for the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Areas 2026–2035.
In addition to adopting a series of decisions, COP24 negotiated and adopted the Ministerial Declaration, reaffirming the shared commitment of Contracting Parties to the conservation and sustainable use of the Mediterranean Sea and its marine and coastal resources as a foundation for regional stability, prosperity, and sustainable development.
The meeting also commemorated 50 years of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and the Barcelona Convention. The anniversary was marked by the participation of Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP; Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean; and Susan Gardner, Director of UNEP’s Ecosystems Division, underscoring the global relevance of Mediterranean cooperation.
Within this framework, PAP/RAC’s Marina Marković organised a side event entitled “Inclusive Pathways towards a Regional Vision for Integrated Coastal and Marine Management,” jointly with RAED. The event featured contributions from Plan Bleu, SPA/RAC, and the League of Arab States, alongside national representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change of Türkiye, the Ministry of Environment of Albania, and the Coastal Protection and Planning Agency (APAL) of Tunisia. The event highlighted PAP/RAC’s coordinating role in regional Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and presented key tools supporting national and regional MSP processes.
In addition, PAP/RAC participated in three further side events: “One Mediterranean, One Future: Integrated Actions for a Resilient Sea,” organised under the MedProgramme; “Science, Education and Cooperation for a Resilient Mediterranean,” organised by the Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Protection de l’Environnement; and “Bridging Local Practice and Policy Frameworks: Coastal Restoration Dialogue for Biodiversity and Climate Resilience,” organised by IUCN, at which Marko Prem, Deputy Director of PAP/RAC, presented the PAP/RAC’s work on coastal restoration.
Towards the conclusion of the meeting, Croatia formally offered to host the 25th Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP25). “Croatia’s offer to host COP25 is especially significant for PAP/RAC, as 2027 will mark the Centre’s 50th anniversary. Celebrating this milestone at home would offer a unique opportunity to honour our past achievements while strengthening our commitment to supporting countries in advancing integrated coastal and marine management across the Mediterranean,” said Daria Povh Škugor, Director of PAP/RAC.
