INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANISATION

UNEP - MAP Institutions Network UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), established in 1972, aims to encourage sustainable development through sound environmental practices everywhere. Its activities cover a wide range of issues, from atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems, the promotion of environmental science and information, to an early warning and emergency response capacity to deal with environmental disasters and emergencies. UNEP Regional Seas For nearly three decades the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has fostered regional co-operation on behalf of the marine and coastal environment. It has accomplished this by stimulating the creation of "Action Plans" - prescriptions for sound environmental management - for each region. These include a series of regional Conventions - unique legal instruments designed to protect shared environmental interests. Today there are 19 regional programmes, 14 of which were initiated by UNEP. Of these, 13 have formally adopted their own regional Action Plans. Regional Seas programmes are the central UNEP initiative providing the legal, administrative, substantive and financial framework for the implementation of Agenda 21, and its Chapter 17 on oceans in particular. MAP: Mediterranean Action Plan The objective of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) is to protect the environment and to foster development in the Mediterranean Basin. It was adopted in Barcelona, Spain, in 1975, by 16 Mediterranean States and the EU, under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its legal framework comprises the Barcelona Convention adopted in 1976 and revised in 1995, and its six Protocols covering numerous specific aspects of environmental protection. BP/RAC: Blue Plan Regional Activity Centre "Plan Bleu" (Blue Plan) has several meanings: a process of reflection on the Mediterranean region in all its vastness and complexity, a research centre where this reflective process is carried out, and the infrastructure of a non-profit organisation for management and operations. INFO/RAC: Information and Communication Centre Regional Activity Centre The mandate of INFO/RAC is: · To disseminate environmental information, establish a dialogue with the media and raise awareness through all the languages available to communication; . To design and implement the Information and Communication Strategy for the Mediterranan Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) REMPEC: Mediterranean Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre The main objectives of REMPEC are: · To strengthen the capacities of the Mediterranean coastal States with a view to preventing pollution from ships and to combating pollution of the marine environment irrespective of the source; · To develop regional co-operation in the field of prevention of pollution from ships, and to facilitate co-operation among the coastal States in responding to pollution incidents; · To assist coastal States of the Mediterranean region, if so request, in the development of their own capabilities for response to incidents; · To provide a framework for the exchange of information on operational, technical, scientific, legal and financial matters. PAP/RAC: Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre The Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC), established in 1978, is a key component of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), itself part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Twenty Mediterranean countries, as well as the European Union, make an integral part of MAP, and their common objective is the creation of a healthier Mediterranean environment, resting on the principle of sustainable development. PAP/RAC, as one of six Regional Activity Centres within the MAP, has built up a global reputation due to its expertise in Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM). PAP/RAC are, first of all, its employees, as well as a large network of Mediterranean experts and institutions. Many people know us by the abbreviation and not by our the full name. We consider it an asset, since by such recognition, our work has been acknowledged everywhere and not only in the Mediterranean. RAC/CP: Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production The main goal/objective of the RAC/CP is the promotion and dissemination of prevention, the reduction of pollution at source in the industrial sector, as well as the giving of technical support to the Contracting Parties and the institutional organisations, and through them, to the enterprises wishing to promote less polluting and more eco-efficient techniques and practices in their activities. SPA/RAC: Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre The missions of RAC/SPA include: a) assisting the Parties, in co-operation with the competent international, intergovernmental and non?governmental organisations (NGOs) in: establishing and managing specially protected areas; conducting programmes of scientific and technical research in conformity with Article 20 of the present Protocol; conducting the exchange of scientific and technical information between the Parties in conformity with Article 20 of the Protocol; preparing management plans for protected areas and species; preparing educational materials designed for various groups; b) convening and organising meetings of National Focal Points and providing them with secretariat services; c) formulating recommendations concerning the guidelines and common criteria pursuant to Article 16 of the Protocol; d) creating and updating databases on specially protected areas, protected species and on other matters relevant to the Protocol; e) preparing reports and technical studies that may be required for the imp Mediterranean Ministries of the Environment Algeria Croatia Cyprus Egypt EU France Greece Israel Italy Lebanon Malta Monaco Marocco Slovenia Spain Tunis Montenegro Mediterranean Organisations CEDARE: Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe Economic Research Forum for the Arab Countries, Iran and Turkey EMWIS: Euro-Mediterranean Water Information System The eSeFDee Marine Sciences Portal for the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean FEMISE: Euro-Mediterranean Network of Economic Independent Institutes Analysing the Economic and Financial Chapter of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership GWP-Med: Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean Euro-Med Centre on Insular Coastal Dynamics CIESM The Mediterranean Science Commision MED-HYCOS: Mediterranean Hydrological Cycle Observing System WWF Mediterranean Programme Office: Across the Waters, WWF Mediterranean Directory of Environmental Organisations MIO-ECSDE: Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development MENA Middle East and North Africa Development Forum The EU's Mediterranean & Middle East Policy CMCC: Centro Euro - Mediterraneo per i Cambiamenti Climatici Mediterranean NGO Greenpeace Mediterranean Homepage IUCN: Centre for Mediterranean Co-operation Medcities MEDCOAST Med Forum MedRegio SeaM: Sistema di Educazione Ambientale Marina nel Mediterraneo European Organisations Council of Europe EEA: European Environment Agency EIB: European Investment Bank European Commission Directorate General of Environment The EU's Mediterranean & Middle East Policy European Commission - Environment CRPM The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions Eurostat: European statistics LIFE - Third Countries MEDA: Financial and Technical Measures to Accompany the Reform of Economic and Social Structures in the Framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership SMAP: Short and Medium-Term Priority Environmental Action Programme Europa: Integrated Coastal Zone Management European Parliament EUR-Lex: The Portal to European Union Law SEA-SEARCH - Your Gateway to Oceanographic and Marine Data & Information in Europe EIONET European Topic Centre on Land Use and Spatial Information of European Environment Agency EUROSION Portal - A European initiative for sustainable coastal erosion management European Commission: The Euro - Mediterranean Partnership CoastNET ENCORA International Organisations Coastal Ecosystems Coastal Resources Centre The Ocean Conservancy Convention on Biological Diversity EarthTrends - The Environmental Information Portal Earth Summit 2002 FAO Fisheries Department GEF: Global Environment Facility GISIG GWP: Global Water Partnership ICES: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea ICCOPS The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands ICS: International Centre for Science and High Technology Integrated Coastal Management/IOC/UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission International Coral Reef Initiative International Maritime Organisation International Rivers Network IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IUCN - The World Conservation Union NIPR: New Ideas in Pollution Regulation Millennium Ecosystem Assessment NetCoast Oceans and Law of the Sea OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands UNDP Ocean And Coastal Management Convention on Biological Diversity - Clearing House Mechanism - the Strategy Guide UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions and Small Islands United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development Unsystem - Official Web Site Locator for the United Nations System of Organizations World Bank - Coastal and Marine Management World Bank - Environment WTO: World Tourism Organisation World Resources Institute Other NGO EUCC Coastal Guide CoastBase: The European Virtual Coastal and Marine Data Warehouse - MedWetCoast CoastLearn CoastNET Coastwatch, a Global Information Service for the European Coastal Environment EMECS: International Center for the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas EUCC - The Coastal Union EUROCOAST: European Coastal Association for Science and Technology Friends for Life Friends of the Earth Island Resources Foundation Coastal Management Web Wetlands International WWF Global Environmental Conservation Organization Other Regional Organisations ACZISC: Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee BALLERINA: Baltic Sea Region On-line Information Centre for Marine and Coastal Zone Management UK Coastal Zone Law Web Site Institute of Marine Research NOAA Ocean and Coastal Resource Management EMIS Marine Environmental Information System

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