Egypt on Tuesday opened the 24th Meeting of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention in Cairo, bringing together ministers and representatives from 21 Mediterranean countries to protect the sea from pollution. Local Development Minister and Acting Environment Minister Manal Awad stated that hosting the event shows confidence in Egypt's role. She called for faster shifts to a sustainable blue economy amid climate challenges.
The gathering, known as COP24, brought together ministers and representatives from 21 Mediterranean countries, along with regional and international organizations, to strengthen pollution prevention in the Mediterranean Sea. Local Development Minister and Acting Environment Minister Manal Awad noted that hosting the meeting reflects "deep confidence in Egypt’s active role" and its enduring dedication to marine and coastal preservation.
Awad highlighted the Mediterranean's pivotal place in Egypt's economic, social, and environmental progress, with over 3,000 km of coastline along the Mediterranean and Red Sea bolstering sectors like fisheries, tourism, maritime transport, and nascent blue-energy fields. She stressed that sustainable coastal resource management is now a strategic necessity as climate effects grow.
Egypt has embedded marine protection into its National Climate Strategy 2050 and Biodiversity Strategy 2030, moving toward an integrated sustainable blue economy model. Backed by the World Bank, the country is developing its inaugural national blue-economy plan to steer green investments in ecotourism, sustainable fishing, marine renewables, low-carbon shipping, and nature-based approaches.
"We view the blue economy not merely as an environmental concept, but as a new development model capable of creating jobs, boosting food security and protecting marine biodiversity," Awad remarked. The conference is set to approve key measures, such as the revised Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2026–2035 and a fresh regional climate adaptation framework.
Outgoing COP23 President Mitja Bricelj from Slovenia commended Egypt's arrangements and emphasized ongoing collaboration on the Barcelona Convention's 50th anniversary. Tatiana Hema, coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Mediterranean Action Plan, alerted to the region's swift degradation, from pollution to biodiversity decline, and hoped COP24 outcomes would "set a pathway toward cleaner coasts and a more sustainable Mediterranean future."
Alberto Pacheco Capella, head of UNEP’s Regional Seas Unit, described the timing as crucial, urging science-driven policies and enhanced governance inside and outside national boundaries. Under the banner "Sustainable Blue Economy for a Resilient and Healthy Mediterranean," COP24 proceeds in Cairo through December 5, with delegates reviewing Egypt's proposed Cairo Ministerial Declaration.