Punta del Este, Uruguay, 1-9 June 2015
Every three years, the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands brings together delegates from the 168 members countries and observers (international organizations, NGOs and wetland experts) to agree on a programme of work and a budget for the next triennium and adopt guidance on a range of ongoing and emerging wetland-related issues. Ramsar COP12 was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 1 to 9 June 2015, under the theme “Wetlands for our future.” On the agenda, the main feature is the approval of the 4th Ramsar Strategic Plan (2016-2021) which should guide the work of the wetlands community worldwide during the next six years.
For more information
On Ramsar COP12
MedWet at Ramsar COP12
The Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet) welcomed the Mediterranean community and all other delegates and observers attending Ramsar COP12 at the Mediterranean Agora located in a building across the street from the Conference Centre hosting the COP.
A MedWet stand at the exhibition hall of the Conference Centre provided information on MedWet and the Agora.
Inspired by the vibrant Agorae in ancient Greek city states, the Mediterranean Agora is a place of knowledge and exchange, promoting cooperation and recognizing the rich variety of cultures. It is also a place to discuss, to relax and share good moments, in the best Mediterranean style!
The heart of the Agora: the exhibition
The heart of the Agora is an exhibition of thirty colorful posters on the theme “Our wetlands, our people”. Celebrating the beauty of Mediterranean wetlands and their people, the exhibition presents each of the 27 MedWet countries and entities, and posters are reproduced in postcards to take away.
Please visit the MedWet exhibition here.
The Programme
Please visit the detailed Programme page
The Agora offered an interesting programme of presentations, film screenings and discussions.
 | See the programme here in A3 See the programme here in A4 (mobile version) |
The Agora was open to the local public at specific times in recognition of the hospitality of the Uruguayan people and offered guided visits to local school children.
A MedWet publication
 | MedWet has published “Working for wetlands in the Mediterranean – Progress and challenges” with an analysis of 20 National Reports submitted by Mediterranean countries to the Ramsar Secretariat on the occasion of COP 12. The publication, in English and French, is available upon request.Download the publication in EnglishDownload the publication in French |
A MedWet cartoon
For disclose at the Ramsar COP, MedWet has also produced a three minutes cartoon depicting the priceless services that healthy wetlands can provide despite they are facing many challenges in the Mediterranean region.
The cartoon has been presented first during the MedWet/Com meeting at the COP12, then at several occasion during and after the COP12.
Wetlands are one of the planet’s greatest and most misunderstood natural resources. Not simply a resource for fresh water, they function as the earth’s regulation system: like a buoy, wetlands protect the land and coasts from the impacts of extreme weather; like a fan, they keep the climate from fluctuating; and, like a sponge, they filter water and store it so that all forms of life can thrive. But today’s consumptive and resource-dependent lifestyles are threatening these priceless services. MedWet developed this cartoon in order to convey the importance of Mediterranean wetlands’ vital services.
 | To view the cartoon in English, click here To view the cartoon in French, click here |
Pictures and videos
All pictures and videos have been made and prepared by Leandro Borba, from Organisation for the Conservation of Cetaceans (OCC), an Uruguayan NGO that has provided MedWet with invaluable support for the organisation of this Mediterranean Agora during the Ramsar COP12.
All the pictures and the videos are visible on this page.
Special thanks to
The Mediterranean Agora has been organized with the invaluable support of the Uruguayan NGO Organization for the Conservation of Cetaceans (OCC).
MedWet also acknowledge with thanks the support of the national and local Uruguayan authorities and the important contribution made to the Mediterranean Agora project by communications consultant Corinne Brunois.
The Mediterranean Agora has been declared as an Event of Cultural Interest by the city of Punta del Este and the authorities of the Maldonado Department.
Special grants to organize the Agora were received from WWF International and the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (MEDDE).
