article_thumb_298_T4XTZWZMPGG86The Mediterranean Information Office together with all major actors in the Mediterranean environmental scene, will hold an official Side Event within the framework of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The event “Challenges and Opportunities for a Mediterranean Green Growth”, which will take place on 19 Jun 2012 (15:30 – 17:00 Room T-3 RioCentro) is co-organized with UNEP/MAP, the European Commission, the Union for the Mediterranean, Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, the Arab Network for Environment and Development, GWP-Med, etc.

This side event will bring together the major institutions and stakeholders from European, Western Asian and North African countries to provide an overview of the joint efforts of strengthened cooperation, common vision and shared strategies towards achieving sustainable development. Under the light of a growing financial volatility, the new realities following the Arab Spring, and taking into consideration the emerging challenges, the event aspires to renew the political commitment on a realistic basis in an eco-region located at the North-South interface, facing serious demographic, economic, environmental, technological and socio-cultural problems.

The event is supported by several Mediterranean countries (Croatia, France, Greece, Lebanon, Monaco, Morocco) and institutions such as the Fondation Mohamed VI pour la protection de l’Environnement. Furthermore, the event supports the objectives of the ‘MedPartnership’ and the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI), as well as those of the EU projects Horizon 2020 Capacity Building Programme (CB/MEP), Sustainable Water Integrated Management (SWIM) and the recently launched SWITCH-MED which will promote sustainable consumption and production and resource efficiency in the Mediterranean.

15.30 – 15.40 Welcome address – introduction

  • Prof. Michael Scoullos, Chairman of MIO-ECSDE and
  • HE Brice Lalonde, Executive Coordinator for Rio +20 (tbc)

15.40 – 16.30 Panelists’ Remarks

  • HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco
  • Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU (tbc)
  • European Commission representative (tbc)
  • Maria Luisa Silva Mejias, Coordinator, UNEP/MAP
  • Rafiq Husseini, Deputy Secretary General, Environment and Water, UfM Secretariat
  • Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, International Resource Panel (UNEP)
  • Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director, European Environment Agency
  • The Hon Dr Mario de Marco, Minister for Tourism, Culture and the Environment of Malta
  • Vangelis Constantianos, Executive Secretary, GWP-Med
  • Dr. Emad Adly, Secretary General, Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED)

16.33 – 16.50 Contributions of Countries, Regions, other Stakeholders

  • Cyprus: Mrs. Egly Pantelaki, General Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment
  • Greece: Mr. Nikolaos Mantzaris, Expert, Hellenic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change
  • Representatives of Croatia, France, Lebanon and Morocco are expected to participate.
  • Lluís Recoder i Miralles, Ministry of Territory and Sustainability, Government of Catalonia
  • Lucien Chabason, President of Plan Bleu
  • Enrique de Villamore Martín, Director of the Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production
  • Guillaume Sainteny, Associate Professor at Ecole Polytechnique; Member of the Scientific Committee of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

16.50 – 17.00 Closing Remarks: Prof. Michael Scoullos

Among the participants will be:

the Environment Committee of the European Parliament ● the Executive Secretary of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) ● the Chairman of the Water Committee of the Lebanese Parliament ● UNECE representatives ● UNESCO representatives ● the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM) ● European Partners for the Environment and the Resource Efficiency Alliance ● the Copernicus Alliance ● UN CSD Education Caucus ● Eco-union ● Club Marocain pour l’Environnement et le Développement ● Syrian Coast Society for Environmental Protection (SCSEP) ● REC Turkey ● the IUCN ● Onassis Foundation