The Mediterranean Wetlands Committee (MedWet/Com 12) to meet in Paris, France, in February 2016

The MedWet Steering Group, with the participation of France (Chair), Jordan and Tunisia and the Ramsar Secretariat, IUCN-Med, La Tour du Valat and Honorary Member Thymio Papayannis, met for its 12th meeting at the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy on 8 October 2015.

The meeting review the operations and financial situation of MedWet and took a series of other decisions (see the agenda and the minutes of the steering group meeting)

steering group meeting Cr M. Renaudin

The MedWet Steering Group 12

One of the main decisions of the meeting was to approve the proposals for the 12th Meeting of the MedWet/Com, which will now take place at the Palais de la Port Dorée (seat of the Aquarium and the Museum of Immigration) in Paris, France, on 7-11 February 2016. The weekend of 6-7 February will be dedicated to activities at the Palais related to the celebration of World Wetlands Day 2016. The last day of the meeting, 11 February, will be devoted to an optional field visit.

It should be noted that for the first time in the history of the MedWet/Com meetings, the Director of Water and Biodiversity at the French Ministry, Mr. François Mitteault, will be inviting his counterparts in all MedWet countries to attend the last day of plenary sessions (on 13 February) in order to have them formally adopting the important decisions that should be taken by the meeting.

Palais Porte Doree cr T. Salathe (1)

The Palais de la Porte Dorée

 

Issues in the agenda will include very important questions for the future of MedWet and its work, such as:

  • The approval the draft MedWet Framework for Action 2016 – 2030 “Wetlands for sustainable development in the Mediterranean region”. This draft will be sent by Director Mitteault to all MedWet countries for comments at the beginning of November, with a deadline on 30 November to receive feed-back;
  • The approval of the MedWet Work Plans and budgets for 2016 and 2017;
  • The approval of the Work Plan of the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory;
  • A decision on the future legal status of MedWet as an intergovernmental network; and
  • The revision of the Terms of Reference of the MedWet/Com and of its Scientific and Technical Network (MedWet STN).

Formal invitations should be issued during the month of November. In the meantime, all MedWet Focal Points, MedWet partners, and other observers are kindly invited to already pencil in the dates in their 2016 agendas.

Photo credit: T. Salathé and M. Renaudin