The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a series of events to promote the role of biodiversity conservation for policies related to the productive, energy and financial sectors in the region, in the city of Malaga.
Malaga, 26 September, 2022. – From 26 September to 2 October, the IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a series of events to promote dialogues with the productive, technological and financial sectors in the region.
Over 300 Mediterranean nature conservation experts from more than 20 countries will take part in 5 different events and workshops during the IUCN-Med Week. High-level dialogues on cooperation and nature conservation will benefit from the participation of prominent foundations and financial institutions. Discussions about the most pressing challenges in the region will aim to develop strategic alliances, which contribute to design projects and initiatives with greater impact on the territory and transforming society. In addition, various cultural and gastronomic events will bring nature closer to citizens.
“In these 20 years, our Centre has worked to build bridges and strengthen cooperation between the fields of science, policy, management and action on the ground to enhance nature conservation. Besides celebrating and disseminating the results achieved, this occasion represents the start of a new era and a renewed commitment of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation towardss the conservation and sustainable development of the Mediterranean region for the next decades”, stresses Antonio Troya, director of IUCN-Med.
A meeting point for the Members of IUCN
The events programmed as part of IUCN-Med’s anniversary will also feature various meetings with IUCN Members. The first will be a meeting of the Chairs of Member Committees from Mediterranean and European countries. Two regional committees will attend: ICENCA (Interregional Committee for Europe, North and Central Asia) and the North Africa Regional Committee. Besides allowing an exchange of experiences, this event will seek to strengthen the North-South relationship. One day later, the IUCN Spanish Committee will host its annual meeting – the most important gathering of conservation actors and public administrations in the field of nature protection in Spain, where efforts will focus on the implementation of the IUCN programme.
Side events on hot topics for Mediterranean conservation
During this week, IUCN-Med will also host another three side events with the participation of more than 150 international experts. These will seek to address some of the priority issues for nature conservation in the Mediterranean, including:
- Challenges for the Protection of Biodiversity in Islands (27 September), where the first Action Plan for the Mediterranean Islands will be presented.
- International meeting on bycatch (4-6 October), in which experts from the Mediterranean and beyond will share their experiences developing actions, as well as monitoring and mitigation programmes in different seas and types of fishing.
- In collaboration with the University of Malaga, the results of the Tourism and Climate Change report on the Costa del Sol will be disseminated (28 September).
Nature, Art and Gastronomy
A series of activities have also been planned in collaboration with the cultural and gastronomic sectors in Malaga, with the aim of illustrating the links between nature, art, gastronomy and youth. Three itineraries related to gastronomy, art and the history of the city have been designed. In collaboration with the association of chefs de cuisine GastroArte, nine gourmet restaurants will join this special occasion by offering different tapas produced with local and sustainable products for the next three weeks.
Indeed, a special guided route through the museums of Malaga has been designed by selecting works of art that aim to understand the work and its relationship with nature and the environment. A third route, the “Art and Nature” Route, will address the relationship between art, architecture, urban planning and nature conservation. The musical note will be provided by Burruezo & Nur Camerata, alongside with a Rap Battle to attract the youngest visitors. Perfomances by rap artists like DaSilva, Eskarnia and Sista Cheka, as well as other dance and music shows wil be offered by multidisciplinary artists, like Ilargi Zabaleta Bergara and Andoni Larrapeiti.
In addition, the programme of the Anniversary includes a presentation of Malaga’s candidacy to host Expo 2027 for all the participants.
20 YEARS OF IUCN-MED
The Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation was created in 2001, thanks to the initiative of IUCN Members and with the institutional and financial support of the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and the Andalusian Regional Government. In these 20 years, it has implemented more than 150 projects throughout the Mediterranean basin. Among some of its greatest achievements, the centre has succeeded in generating knowledge about the conservation status of 6,000 species in the region following the standard of the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, as well as promoting the designation of Fisheries Restricted Areas, fostering sustainable fishing practices and strengthening the capacities of more than 2000 experts. Furthermore, the Centre has developed national strategies for emblematic species in North Africa (the Great bustard, Cuvier’s gazelle, various birds of prey), while providing technical and financial support to more than 100 NGOs in this region to promote conservation projects and tackling climate change.
About IUCN-Med and its anniversary – 20 years #AchievingMediterranean
The Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation coordinates the implementation of the global programme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the Mediterranean region. Since 2001, IUCN-Med has applied a unique approach to bridge science, policy, management and action to conserve nature and accelerate the transition to sustainable development in collaboration with IUCN Members in the region.
The celebration of this IUCN-Med Week will be possible thanks to the support and collaboration of the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the Malaga City Council, the Malaga Province Council and the MAVA Foundation.
All the information about meetings, cultural and gastronomic events of the IUCN-Med Week can be found at:
** Attendance to meetings and events is strictly by invitation. In any event, the live-streaming will be offered publicly through the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IUCNMed
For more information, photos or interviews, please contact:
Lourdes Lázaro Marín, IUCN-Med Communications, M:+34 615 44 14 08, email: lourdes.lazaro@iucn.org
Santiago Suárez, IUCN-Med Communications, santiago.suarez@iucn.org
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