The Mediterranean Strategy on ESD is now endorsed by the 43 countries of the UfM!

After many years of efforts of MIO-ECSDE and its Membership  the Mediterranean Strategy on ESD (MSESD) has been formally and unanimously endorsed by the 43 Ministers of Environment of the UfM, at their meeting in Athens on May 13th 2014.

In fact it was included in their Declaration which also announces the continuation / second phase of the Horizon 2020 program to de-pollute the Mediterranean from 2015 to 2020. The Strategy was indeed finalised with the support of the Horizon 2020 Initiative which facilitated the final stakeholder consultations on the text.

This is the first Regional Strategy of its kind after the UNECE one (and is actually its “child” as it is largely based on it). It is the only Strategy of an eco region which touches upon 3 continents and many countries with different socioeconomic & cultural backgrounds and hopefully it will be presented in the Nagoya Conference as a clear demonstration of cooperation and solidarity in a North – South and East – West interface.

You may access the Strategy Document here along with the Ministerial Declaration: http://www.h2020.net/en/resources/h2020-mid-term-review-documents/viewcategory/302.html

Based on the Strategy, the UfM Secretariat facilitated by MEdIES, is mandated to prepare an Action Plan as a direct follow up.