2nd MedPartnership Steering Committee Meeting in Damascus

The 2nd MedPartnership Steering Committee Meeting took place in Damascus, Syria, from 15 to 17 March 2011. The main objective of the meeting was to assess the project’s progress and to present the Communication and Visibility Strategy, the Portfolio Assessment and Replication Plan. In addition, the meeting adopted the work plan and the budget for 2011. During the last day of the meeting the new “sister” project ”Integration of Climatic Variability and Change into National ICZM Strategies” was presented. The meeting also offered a good opportunity for a number of internal meetings with the national representatives as well as with the partners of the MedPartnership Component 1.

The meeting was opened by the Minister of State for Environmental Affairs of Syria who spoke about their devoted work on the implementation of the Barcelona Convention and all its related Protocols. Syria’s ratification of the ICZM Protocol for the Mediterranean enabled this Protocol to enter into force. With that regard, a PAP/RAC representative gave a speech on "Shaping the future of the Mediterranean Coasts: Celebrating the ICZM Protocol" examining the applications of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol ratified by Syria in November 2010.

Warm hospitality and perfect organisation of the meeting and the press conference, and above all the commitment, agility and devotion of the Syrian representatives to save their coasts, filled with enthusiasm the participants of the meeting coming from 12 southern and eastern Mediterranean countries.