-
.
- Ελληνικά
The 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, held on 5-8 December 2023 in Portoroz, Slovenia, adopted important decisions and actions to protect Mediterranean Sea ecosystems in the face of the growing impacts of the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The Department of Fisheries and Marine Research of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment participated in all the proceedings of the meeting.
On 7 December, the Ministerial Meeting was held in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Petros Xenophontos.
The Ministerial Meeting was opened by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Robert Golob, stressing the conservation of nature and the environment in the Mediterranean as a priority for the Slovenian Presidency of the Barcelona Convention during the 2024-2025 biennium and that all Contracting Parties should work collectively in this direction so that all our efforts pay off. The Prime Minister praised in plenary the work of Cyprus and congratulated Mr. Xenophontos for Cyprus' actions, activities and efforts within the framework of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols for the protection and sustainable conservation of the Mediterranean Sea. Congratulations were also given during the plenary session by the Coordinator of the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) of the Barcelona Convention, for the active and significantly constructive participation of Cyprus in the implementation of the objectives of the Convention and its Protocols.
The objective of the Ministerial Meeting, which was attended by representatives of the 21 Mediterranean States, the European Union and International Organisations, was the adoption of the Portoroz Ministerial Declaration on "Green Transition in the Mediterranean: From decisions to actions". The delegates committed to work together to translate decisions into effective action, for good environmental status and to meet a series of ambitious goals in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development and accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for a better quality of life.
Recognizing the importance for protection of the Mediterranean and its environmental and sustainable development challenges, the Minister strongly supported the adoption of the From decisions to actions.
Mr.
Mr. Minister stressed the importance of the Mediterranean Sea as an environmentally sound and sustainable way of life. Xenophontos conveyed the message that "maintaining strong links of cooperation with all Parties under the coordination, assistance and support of the Secretariat of the Convention, which should play a leading role, as well as engaging the younger generation with its new and innovative ideas, is vital to achieve our common goal of protecting our seas and a healthier and more productive marine environment in order to ensure a better quality of life and prosperity for present and future generations.
Xenophontos underlined that, "Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and we are deeply concerned about its impacts such as rising sea temperatures, intensification, increased spread of invasive species and changes in biodiversity. Therefore, recognizing climate change as a global problem linked to the protection and sustainability of biodiversity, he strongly believes that protecting the Mediterranean is vital."
Xenophontos outlined, inter alia, Cyprus' progress in the establishment of Marine Protected Areas, for which so far the protection of 19% of the total marine area, i.e. the territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone, has been achieved. He also mentioned that an important achievement that constitutes a legacy for the protection and conservation of our marine environment in Cyprus is the recent completion of the high-resolution mapping of important marine habitats, such as the Posidon[/I]Posidonaoceanica meadows, as well as the scientific knowledge gained from the research on the submarine Mount Eratosthenes in the EEZ of Cyprus.
In conclusion, Mr. Xenophontos assured that Cyprus is fully committed to the implementation of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, supporting on a technical and political level the new Work Programme for the period 2024-2025 and taking concrete actions to ensure a healthy and productive marine environment for present and future generations.
In the margins of the Session, the Minister also had a bilateral meeting with Ms Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, who congratulated Cyprus for its active and constructive action, in the framework of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols and noted that she hoped to continue and strengthen this cooperation with Cyprus in the framework of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEA), as well as on the new international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution currently under consideration.
(BG)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
Source[/P]
