Algeria has just sent us excellent news: on Sunday 23 May 2021, the ICZM 2020 - 2030 strategy was adopted by the Interministerial Commission responsible for its updating and implementation. This strategy is both a planning tool for the sustainable development of coastal areas and a framework for consultation and coordination between the actions of public authorities and actors involved in management and development.
But to better understand why this news particularly delights us, it is necessary to take a little step back in time. In 2010, Algeria, through its Ministry responsible for the environment, began a process of developing an ICZM strategy with the support of PAP/RAC within the framework of the GEF Med-Partnership project. This process, which saw the involvement of more than 1,400 stakeholders from the different regions of the Algerian coast, ended with the validation of the document in 2015. One of the salient elements of this process was undoubtedly the creation an interministerial commission responsible for ICZM, a governance body set up during the project. The document provided for an update at a 5-year deadline. In 2020, Algeria therefore took the decision to update the document, and independently mobilized funds for this purpose, notably through the German Development Cooperation. PAP/RAC was consulted at each major stage in the preparation of the document, and was pleased to note that the efforts made were able to be capitalized for a more sustainable management of the Algerian coast. We hope that this example will inspire other similar experiences in the Mediterranean.
