The meeting, held in the framework of the regional policy component of the SWITCH-Med Project, in which the CP/RAC has a key role as executing agency, aimed at further elaborating the SCP Roadmap for the Mediterranean.
The meeting, opened by the UNEP/MAP Coordinator, Ms. Maria Luisa Silva, aimed at revising the contents of the baseline report of the Roadmap, detailing how SCP is a cornerstone in the implementation of the Barcelona Convention and its protocols.
The feedbacks from the presentation of the first draft of the Roadmap during the MCSD meeting and CP/RAC National Focal Points meeting in June were also presented and the MSEG agreed on the next steps to further develop the structure and the contents accordingly.
The MSEG also provided some advice for the preparation of the decision on the Roadmap to be presented to the MAP Focal Points meeting in September. In this sense, it was agreed to present a decision to open a consultation process for the Roadmap.
The first draft of the SCP Roadmap for the Mediterranean constitutes an ambitious document in line with the huge environmental, social and economic challenges the region is facing. Thus, countries need time for internal consultation.
SCP is an integrated approach that requires the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders in order to be implemented (eg. Policy makers, business sector, entrepreneurial organisations, civil society organisations, research institutions, educational bodies, local governments). Each stakeholder group has its individual fields of action with a complete range of SCP tools already available and which demonstrated to be effective.
Therefore, in order to develop an SCP Roadmap for the Mediterranean adapted to the reality of the region and guaranty the active involvement of all key SCP stakeholders in the implementation of the Roadmap, a broad participatory process would constitute an asset.