THE HON. FRANCIS ZAMMIT DIMECH, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, ADDRESSES BUREAU OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES TO THE BARCELONA CONVENTION ON THE RATIFICATION OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE BARCELONA CONVENTION

The Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Francis Zammit Dimech, called on the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention who have not yet ratified the amendments to the Convention, as well as its Protocols, to complete the process during the course of the current year, as was recommended by the meeting of the Contracting Parties in Malta last October.

The Barcelona Convention and its Protocols are the means by which to bring about a reduction in pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Hon. Francis Zammit Dimech was speaking in his capacity as President of the Bureau of the Contracting Parties during the official opening of the Bureau meeting in Damascus, Syria.

The opening ceremony was addressed also by the Minister of State for the Environment of Syria, Dr. Farouk Adli and by the Coordinator of the Mediterranean Action Plan, M. Lucienne Chabasson.

During the two-day meeting, the Bureau discussed among other items, the financing of the Conference of the Plenipotentiaries for the adoption of the revised text of the Emergency Protocol which is planned to take place in Malta next year.

The Bureau discussed also the meeting of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development which will be held in Tunis later on this month.

Other topics on the agenda included the financing of the approved activities, the collaboration of Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) with NGOs, pollution prevention and control measures, conservation of biological diversity and integrated environment and development.

Following an evaluation of the designs submitted by a number of countries, the Bureau approved a new logo for MAP.