English

UNEP(DEPI)/MED IG.20/8
Annex V
Appendix 2
Page 2
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Realizing the extent of pollution, and its possible consequences for the life of the peoples of the
Mediterranean coast, our countries pledged over 35 years ago, through the Mediterranean
Action Plan, to work together to fight all forms of deterioration of the Mediterranean.
However, and despite all these efforts, the Mediterranean continues to deteriorate. This
Mediterranean space that links us all has now become the most polluted sea in the world.
Indeed, the development of our countries was conducted following principles and rules that pay
no heed to the conditions of sustainable development. The overall environmental footprint of
Mediterranean countries has reached 1.3 billion hectares, or approximately 10% of the world
footprint, whereas the population of these countries is no more than 7% of the global population.
Furthermore, it is abundantly clear at this point that human activity both on sea and on land
continues to have a growing impact on the Mediterranean environment. This includes the
continual loss of farmland to urbanisation, the deterioration of the soil, the overuse and depletion
of water resources, increased coastal development, diminishing biodiversity and impoverished
ecosystems.
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
None of our countries are free of these environmental challenges and issues. It is thus becoming
urgent to consolidate our efforts to protect the Mediterranean, and to put into place a new vision
for environmental policy in the region.
This new vision, it appears to me, will have to be grounded on the conscious, voluntary choice of
a "win-win" scenario, which will aim to promote positive synergies in the management of natural
resources and the environment through better coordination. This coordination could be provided
by more effective regional cooperation mechanisms such as the Mediterranean Action Plan.
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,