Friday 05/December/2025 – 11:48 AM
Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of the Environment, announced at the conclusion of the third day of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment in the Mediterranean (COP24) Barcelona, the issuance of the Cairo Ministerial Declaration, stressing the commitment of the ministers, heads and delegations of the contracting parties to preserve the sustainable use of the Mediterranean Sea and its marine and coastal resources as they are the cornerstone of stability, prosperity and sustainable development in the region.
Minister of Environment: The entry into force of the Convention on the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity is a historic step
Dr. Manal Awad said that the meeting came in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Environment Program Mediterranean Action Plan, and the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the post-Rio Barcelona Convention, which is an important occasion to highlight the progress made in protecting the marine and coastal environment, recognize the success of regional cooperation within the framework of the Convention and its protocols, and renew the determination to confront the ongoing and emerging challenges that threaten the Mediterranean Sea.
The Minister stressed that regional cooperation is the basis of the sustainability of the Mediterranean and the prosperity of the blue economy, noting that the Cairo Declaration highlights the importance of protecting marine biodiversity for future generations, and the entry into force of the BBNJ Convention on the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity soon, as a historic step to protect and manage biodiversity in the high seas.
She added that the meeting stressed the need for the Mediterranean to continue as a beacon of multilateral cooperation, peace and sustainable development for current and future generations, in accordance with the document The Future We Want issued by the Rio+20 conference, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the 2024 Charter for the Future.
Dr. Manal Awad explained that the prosperity of societies and economies is linked to the health of marine and coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean, noting the importance of comprehensive environmental governance, and designing collective solutions to enhance the sustainable blue economy, taking into account the capabilities of the contracting parties, and providing concessional financing, capacity building, technical assistance, and technology transfer.
The Minister also welcomed the progress made in implementing the medium-term strategy of the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan 2022-2027, and looked forward to developing the new strategy 2028-2032, while expressing her pride in appreciating the government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for its hospitality during the twenty-fourth meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols.
