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Environmental Governance Regimes

COP24 Barcelona Convention: The Cairo Declaration and the Future of Mediterranean Environmental Governance

January 5, 2026

The 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP24) to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) was held in Cairo, Egypt, from 2 to 5 December 2025, marking a landmark moment for Mediterranean environmental governance. COP24 coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and 30 years of the post-Rio Barcelona Convention framework, underscoring the enduring relevance of regional cooperation in addressing shared environmental challenges. The meeting took place immediately after the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, during the final stages of negotiations for a new international treaty to address plastic pollution and “in stormy political waters,” in the words of UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell. In this context, the Barcelona Convention serves as an example of how global commitments to the environment and sustainability can be translated into regional legal instruments and action.

The Conference brought together accredited representatives of the 21 Mediterranean coastal States and the European Union, alongside observers from UNEP/MAP Partner organizations, Regional Activity Centres (RACs), intergovernmental organizations, scientific institutions, and civil society. The overarching aim of COP24 was to strengthen collective action to protect the Mediterranean marine and coastal environment in the context of sustainable development, climate change, and increasing socio-economic pressures on the region.

At the ministerial segment, Contracting Parties adopted by consensus the Cairo Declaration, a comprehensive political statement articulating the Mediterranean region’s response to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution and waste. The Declaration reaffirmed Parties’ commitment to the objectives and principles of the Barcelona Convention and emphasized the need to: accelerate climate action, to strive to extend marine protection to 30% of the total area by 2030, to reduce pollution including the elimination of harmful single-use plastics by 2030, to transition to a sustainable blue economy and low-carbon shipping sector, and to strengthen inclusive local and regional cooperation and financing. All this through science-based, integrated, and participatory governance approaches.

In the Cairo Declaration, Ministers recognized the Mediterranean Sea as a climate change hotspot, facing rising sea temperatures, acidification, biodiversity loss, marine litter, and increasing pressures from coastal development and maritime activities. They stressed that environmental protection and sustainable development in the Mediterranean must be pursued in tandem, committing to “decouple economic growth from environmental degradation” while advancing a just and inclusive green transition across the region.

COP24 adopted a number of substantive decisions aimed at strengthening the regional environmental governance framework. These included measures to enhance marine pollution prevention, address plastic pollution across its lifecycle, protect marine and coastal biodiversity, and promote integrated coastal zone management and marine spatial planning. Particular emphasis was placed on aligning regional action with global processes, including the UNFCCC, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and ongoing negotiations on a legally binding global plastics treaty.

A central outcome of COP24 was the endorsement of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) 2026–2035, which builds on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and provides a strategic framework for integrating environmental, social, and economic objectives in the Mediterranean region. The Strategy emphasizes climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, sustainable consumption and production, and strengthened governance, with science and innovation as key drivers of action.

During the Conference, UNEP/MAP officials highlighted the importance of translating regional commitments into concrete national measures. The UNEP/MAP Coordinator underlined that “the Mediterranean has one of the strongest regional regulatory frameworks in the field of environmental protection, but the challenge now lies in implementation,” calling for enhanced political commitment, adequate financing, and inclusive participation at all levels.

Ministerial statements echoed these concerns. Egypt, as host and COP24 President, emphasized the need for strengthened regional solidarity and leadership, noting that Mediterranean countries share not only a sea but also “a common responsibility to safeguard it for present and future generations.” Other delegations stressed the importance of supporting capacity-building and technical assistance for countries facing greater implementation challenges, reaffirming the principle of cooperation and solidarity underpinning the Barcelona Convention.

COP24 also addressed the role of public participation, science–policy interfaces, and stakeholder engagement in Mediterranean environmental governance. Several decisions called for enhanced involvement of civil society, local authorities, and the scientific community in the design and implementation of environmental policies, reflecting a growing recognition that effective governance requires inclusive and participatory approaches.

From a broader perspective, COP24 reaffirmed the Mediterranean region’s role as a laboratory for integrated environmental governance, where global principles are adapted to regional realities through legally binding instruments, cooperative mechanisms, and negotiated processes. The outcomes of COP24 illustrate how regional environmental regimes can serve as bridges between international environmental law and local action, offering valuable lessons for other regions facing similar challenges.

Many side events took place on the sidelines of the COP, including on blue economy, climate change, pollution, and biodiversity. The 50-year anniversary of UNEP/MAP and the Barcelona Convention was also celebrated.

For MEPIELAN, COP24 constitutes a highly relevant case study in Mediterranean environmental regimes, regional cooperation, and relational international environmental law. The Cairo Declaration and associated decisions exemplify how shared environmental challenges can be addressed through context-specific yet normatively robust governance frameworks that balance environmental protection, sustainable development, and participatory governance in pursuit of international common interests.

 

Electronic Sources:

  1. UNEP/MAP, Cairo Declaration, adopted at the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP24), Cairo, 5 December 2025.
    https://www.unep.org/unepmap/resources/documents/cairo-declaration-cop24
  2. UNEP/MAP – Plan Bleu, Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) 2026–2035, endorsed at COP24, Cairo, December 2025.
    https://planbleu.org/en/publications/mediterranean-strategy-for-sustainable-development-2026-2035/
  3. UNEP/MAP Coordinator, Statement delivered at the Ministerial Segment of the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP24), Cairo, 4 December 2025.
    https://www.unep.org/unepmap/news/ministerial-segment-cop24-barcelona-convention
  4. UNEP/MAP, Report of the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP24), Cairo, December 2025.
    https://www.unep.org/unepmap/resources/meeting-documents/report-cop24-barcelona-convention
  5. Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), 1995 (as amended).
    https://www.unep.org/unepmap/who-we-are/barcelona-convention

For further information: https://enb.iisd.org/barcelona-convention-cop24-summary

 

About the author

MEPIELAN Centre
Author's Website

MEPIELAN Centre is an international research, training and educational centre established by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos at the Panteion University of Athens in 2008.

Before its establishment as a University Centre, MEPIELAN operated as a successful international research, training and informational programme (2002-2007) under the scientific direction of Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos and the aegis of the Panteion University of Athens, supported by the Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP and the Greek Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.

MEPIELAN Centre is an accredited UNEP/MAP PARTNER (since 2013), a Member of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) (since 2016), and a Member of the Steering Committee of the MCSD (since 2019).

On 22 May 2022, MEPIELAN Centre proceeded to the development of MEPIELAN as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) for the more effective and efficient advancement of its Goals and Missions and furtherance of its activities. MEPIELAN Centre as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) is registered in Greek Law (Hellenic Business Registry, Reg. No. 16477300100) in accordance with Laws 4072/2012 & 4919/2022 as applicable

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| Jan 5, 2026 | 6 min read

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