| 1.
The 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM)
of MIO-ECSDE, 14 December 2002
The
7th AGM of MIO-ECSDE
will be held in Athens, Greece, on
December 14th during the
Mediterranean multi-event
week, planned for 10-15 December
2002, coordinated by MIO-ECSDE.
Further
information relating to the AGM (Agenda,
Report of Activities, etc.) will be
available soon. MIO-ECSDE Membership
fees should be settled regardless
of actual presence at the AGM and
we must remind full members that in
order to have the right to vote during
the AGM, all due fees must be paid
beforehand (in Athens if necessary).
All
full members who have not already
done so must confirm their interest
in attending the 7th AGM of MIO-ECSDE
as soon as possible for visa purposes
and because this will determine how
the budget for travel and accommodation
costs will be allocated.
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2.
Mediterranean Workshop on Water, Wetlands
and Climate Change, 10-11 December
2002, organized by IUCN, GWP-Med and
MIO-ECSDE
In
the context of the global Dialogue
on Water and Climate Change, the Global
Water Partnership - Mediterranean
and the IUCN The World Conservation
Union – Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
have joined forces to exchange experience
on how to meet the challenge faced
by all Mediterranean societies in
adapting to climate change. Thus a
Regional Roundtable will be held in
Athens on 10 and 11 December 2002
that will explore the institutional
response of seven Mediterranean countries
to anticipated changes in climate,
as well as discuss national adaptation
strategies for increased drought or
flood events, and the measures taken
or planned by the responsible authorities.
The
Roundtable is specifically addressed
to:
- Focal
points of the Convention on Climate
Change, where adaptation strategies
have been agreed as one key measure,
and of the Ramsar Convention on
Wetlands,
- Multi-disciplinary
experts working on flood and drought
management in the water resources
sector (vulnerability and risk management),
- Government
departments managing the institutional
response to climate change,
- Managers
of water resource infrastructure
(notably dams),
- Civil
society groups active in water resource
management.
The
meeting will focus less on the emission
mitigation and impact aspects of the
climate changes in different countries
(as this has been broadly laid out
under the IPCC) and more on the nature
of the national adaptation responses
to climate change. It will also address
cross-cutting issues relevant to the
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. More
specifically the Roundtable is intended
to support work toward developing
country-specific climate adaptation
plans which is one of the obligations
under the UNFCCC. This Roundtable
is intended to exchange the experience
gained so far in Mediterranean countries
and to suggest future short and medium
term actions that may benefit the
countries of the region.
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3.
Mediterranean Regional Dialogue of
Parliamentarians, NGOs and other Stakeholders
on the protection of the Mediterranean
environment and prospects for the
sustainable development of the region.
(Priority theme: Making Water Governance
Effective in the Mediterranean: "The
role of Parliamentarians"), 12-13
December 2002, organized by MIO-ECSDE
and GWP-Med
We are in the wake of the Johannesburg
WSSD, which reaffirmed sustainable
development as a central element of
the international agenda and gave
new impetus to global action to fight
poverty and protect the environment.
The understanding of sustainable development
was broadened and strengthened as
a result of the Summit, particularly
the important role of partnerships
and dialogue among the various stakeholders,
politicians and the state. Governments
agreed to and reaffirmed a wide range
of concrete commitments and targets
for concerted and joint action, to
be achieved in synergy with initiatives
of other stakeholders including civil
society, for a more effective implementation
of sustainable development objectives.
MIO-ECSDE
and GWP-Med,
- emphasizing
that sustainable development is
the overarching objective of the
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and
that social cohesion and environmental
integrity in the Mediterranean should
be central;
- recognizing
the important role of Parliamentarians
and other elected representatives
of society at various levels, in
the above processes and in the creation
of the necessary solid synergies
with other regional and national
stakeholders,
jointly undertake the organization
of the first Mediterranean Dialogue
of Parliamentarians, NGOs and other
stakeholders, in an effort to facilitate
the implementation in the Mediterranean
region of some of the key commitments,
targets and timetables adopted in
the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
At
present, there are no mechanisms in
place to support a dialogue of various
stakeholders with Parliamentarians
in order to discuss the protection
of the Mediterranean environment,
as well as the prospects and necessary
conditions for the sustainable development
of the region. In many cases the underlying
reasons are the lack of access of
the public to information and/or the
decision-making process or (in some
countries in the region) the slow
process of democratization. It is
hoped that the meeting could contribute
to identify potential viable light
and flexible scheme(s) for such co-operation
and dialogue.
Why
Water as a priority theme of the dialogue?
Water
has been identified as one of the
most crucial issues of the region
and is directly linked to the economy,
to society and to the environment.
It is of major concern to all people
and there is already adequate information
and awareness on the problems related
to water resources and their management.
Expected
outcomes
The
meeting will elaborate on the aforementioned
issues and will hopefully:
(i)
come up with concrete proposals on
the most appropriate mechanisms for
the effective involvement of Parliamentarians
and other stakeholders in efficient
water governance
(ii) identify other priority areas
apart from water, where similar dialogues
should take place
(iii) facilitate the formation of
a Caucus/Network of Parliamentarians
(Members of the European Parliament,
National Parliaments and Regional
Parliaments) aiming to assist in promoting
priority issues for the protection
of the environment and sustainable
development in the Mediterranean.
Water issues will be the first ones
to be examined by the Caucus/Network.
The
outcomes of the dialogue will be channeled
into the preparations for the upcoming
3rd World Water Forum (Japan 2003)
as well as to the upcoming Mediterranean
Member State Presidency of the EU
(Greece).
The
meeting will take place at the Divani
Caravel Hotel, Athens, Greece. It
is supported by the Commission of
the European Union - DG ENV and the
Global Water Partnership.
There
will be French and English simultaneous
translation.
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4.
Environmental Education: the Mediterranean
Perspective, 14-15 December 2002,
organised by MIO-ECSDE
As
recognised in various Documents and
Declarations, Education is undoubtedly
the key to sustainable Development
and also to peace and stability within
and among countries. Without accelerated
progress in education, national and
internationally agreed targets for
sustainable development and poverty
reduction will be missed and inequalities
between countries and within societies
will widen.
In
this context a Type II Initiative
on Education for Environment and Sustainability
(EfES) was drafted and presented in
Johannesburg WSSD: MEDIES (Mediterranean
Educational Initiative on Environment
and Sustainability). This is a Type
II Initiative on Education with an
estimated total duration of 5 years
(2002-2007). The Leading Partners
of the initiative are the Greek Government
through the Ministry for the Environment,
Physical Planning and Public works,
UNEP/MAP and MIO-ECSDE. There are
many confirmed Partners to the initiative
such as Governments (through ministries),
NGOs active in the Mediterranean region,
IGOs, etc. The core of this partnership/initiative
is a network of Educators and Schools
implementing integrated educational
programmes on water, waste, etc. as
a vehicle to sustainable development.
The
1st Educational Workshop of MEDIES
will take place on 14&15 December
2002, in Athens, Greece under the
title "Environmental
Education: the Mediterranean Perspective".
The workshop is organised by MIO-ECSDE
with the support of the Hellenic Ministry
for the Environment, Physical Planning
and Public works and UNEP/MAP.
The
Workshop is addressed to educators
from all Mediterranean countries as
well as NGOs. In other words it is
addressed to all those involved in
formal and non-formal educational
procedures.
The
Agenda of the workshop will include
the following main parts:
(I) and (IV): Presentation and co-ordination
mechanisms of MEDIES
(II): Experiences and Educational
Networks in EE
(III): Elements of Methodology - Teaching
methods and tools in EE
Please
note that the draft agenda is under
preparation and will be sent out soon.
Background documents (MEDIES description,
etc.) and registration forms are available
on-line at MIO-ECSDE's webpage (www.mio-ecsde.org).
We would be very grateful if you could
bring this announcement to the attention
of persons who would be interested
in this topic and who could substantially
contribute their expertise.
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5.
New Publication: Public Participation,
Environmental Information and Awareness
in the Mediterranean
This
is a new MIO-ECSDE publication, produced
in English in 2001-2002. The authors
are: Prof. Michael Scoullos, Anastasia
Roniotes and Vicki Malotidi and it
was produced with the support of the
European Commission – DG ENV.
It
summarises the most important aspects
of the related issues as they have
evolved in the Mediterranean region
and is largely based on the report
prepared for the 5th MCSD Meeting
in Rome 1999. The contents of the
book are:
o Introduction
o Part A: Information, Awareness and
Public Participation
o Part B: The Mediterranean Scene
o Part C: Legal Provisions for Public
Rights to Information and Participation
o Part D: Recommendation for Strengthening
Public Participation in the Mediterranean
o Part E: Tips on Methodologies, Indicators
and Cost Assessments for Public Participation
Its
French version will be published in
2003
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|
MEMBERSHIP
FEES
MIO-ECSDE
Member Organisations, who have
not yet paid their annual membership
fees, are urged to do so as
soon as possible. The contributions
(full members 100$, corresponding
members 75$) can be paid by
bank cheque sent to the Secretariat
in Athens or by bank transfer
to the MIO-ECSDE account: ALPHA-TRAPEZA PISTEOS (Credit Bank), Panepistimiou 9, 10564, Athens:
103-4251-200-00062 (ECU) or
103 01 5009000046(US$) or
ALPHA-TRAPEZA
PISTEOS (Credit Bank), Plaka
Branch, 6 Lyssicratus, 10558
Athens: 014-177002320000120
(DRS) |
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