MIO-ECSDE and the 9th ‘Environment for Europe’ Ministerial Conference

Nov 10, 2022 | News

MIO-ECSDE participated in this important meeting that was hosted by a country in the Mediterranean, and specifically Cyprus. Furthermore, MIO-ECSDE supported the Government of Cyprus and specifically the Pedagogical Institute of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, in the organisation of the official Side Events of the 9th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference (EfE9) that took place from 5 – 7 October 2022 in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The Conference focused on three thematic components: Sustainable Infrastructure/Circular Economy, Sustainable Tourism and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It brought together more than a thousand participants, with some 70 country delegations represented at the ministerial level, as well as representatives of European and international organizations, researchers and non-governmental organizations.

Both the Conference and its Side Events were a success. Being in charge of thirty-eight Side Events taking place in two different venues, MIO-ECSDE and MEdIES had the privilege of working closely with the applicants and organizers, all key actors, that brought a lot of expertise, a wealth of insights and new knowledge to share. A detailed list of the side events can be found here.

In addition, MIO-ECSDE/MEdIES was the lead organiser or co-organiser of seven out of the thirty-eight Side Events in collaboration with various international and regional partners and projects:

5 October 2022:

  • Higher Education towards Sustainable Development: Making Universities Lighthouses of Sustainability
  • Making the management of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) circular and truly sustainable

6 October 2022:

  • Towards a new Waste Management Governance: implementing circularity from the local to the regional level in the Mediterranean (Med4Waste)

7 October 2022:

  • Environmental governance for transforming our planet – Promoting the Aarhus Convention in the whole of the Mediterranean region
  • From the Whole School Approach (WSA) to Whole Institute Approach (WIA) as a tool to empower learners in facing today’s challenges
  • Marine Litter/Plastic Pollution, a major environmental and tourism problem: Monitoring and participatory science
  • Ocean Literacy in the Mediterranean, which was the Intro Session to the 2022 Hybrid University that followed.

Within the EfE9 conference, MIO-ECSDE/MEdIES, facilitated the organization of the High-Level Event of Education and Environment Ministers on the Mediterranean Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development and its Action Plan towards 2030 (6 October 2022) where Ministers of Education and Environment from the region and important international organizations celebrated the progress of the Mediterranean Strategy of ESD and adopted its Action Plan towards 2030. You can read more about the high-level event here.

MEdIES also organized the 2022 Hybrid University organically linked with the Conference, from 5-10 October 2022.

EfE9 closed with the adoption of a ministerial declaration affirming countries’ commitment to transition to a green economy with sustainable infrastructure at its core. In addition, the declaration underscores the need for more and stronger ESD to advance environmental governance, strengthen environmental democracy, and empower learners of all ages with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to address the interconnected global challenges.

Read in French here