Athens, 11 February 2016 – During a high level event of the Barcelona Convention CoP 19

meeting, hosted by the Greek Government in Athens, Mediterranean ministers and parties

contracted to the Convention, renewed their commitment to enhance measures to reduce

pressures on their marine and coastal environment.

The ministerial session was opened by Mr. Ioannis Tsironis Alternate Minister of

Environment and Energy of Greece. With the theme “Forty Years of Cooperation for Healthy

and Productive Mediterranean Sea and Coast: A Collective Journey Towards Sustainable

Development”, participants to the meeting celebrated with pride the 40th anniversary of the

Barcelona Convention, which, together with the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP),

represents one of the most advanced legal regimes worldwide for the protection of marine

and coastal environment.

Representing UNEP, Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, Mr.

Ibrahim Thiaw said: “that this meeting was one of the first major conferences taking place

after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement. While 2015 will be

remembered as a major milestone in terms of international agreements, 2016 has been

called the year for implementation and delivery. We must seize that opportunity, and ride

that momentum”.

Highlighting their concerns by the continued threats posed to the Mediterranean by major

pressures affecting the sea and its coastal inhabitants, the Mediterranean ministers adopted

the Athens Declaration, in which they pledged to implement the instruments, programmes,

action plans and guidelines adopted at COP 19 -to prevent pollution from maritime

transport, marine exploration, and land-based activities, protect biodiversity, manage

coastal zones, and increase the resilience of the Mediterranean to the impacts of climate

change -, as crucial means for the achievement of the objectives of the Barcelona

Convention and its Protocols.

Two memoranda of understanding (MoU) were also signed with the Black Sea Convention

and ACCOBAMS secretariats respectively.