Editorial

MED Forum is organizing the V Mediterranean Environmental Forum to be held on 19-21 November 1998. It was during the celebration of the III Forum, on June 1995, when the idea of creating a Network of Mediterranean NGOs was considered a necessity. Since the creation of MED Forum, on November 1996, we have become a well consolidated Network with more than 60 members from 22 countries, and more than 30 applicants to become members. During the V Forum the NGOs will prepare and approve the Priority Action Program of the Mediterranean NGOs (MED Forum's AGENDA 2000) with proposals for sustainable development to guide the NGO's future actions.

The Internal MED Forum Newsletter is born to be an efficient way of communication between the members of the Network. It will be regularly send to all the members by email (and by normal mail for the ones with no email address). MED Info wants to provide you with up to date information on the current activities going on in our Network, as meetings and conferences where we plan to attend, campaigns and projects being developed, or sending you the reports from previous meetings. If you wish to send any information to the rest of MED Forum members you have the opportunity to do it through this newsletter.

Zohir Sekkal Rafael Madueño

President Secretary General

EcoMediterrània: Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 643, 3r. 08010 Barcelona. Espagne

Tél: + 34 93 4124309 Fax: + 34 93 4124622 E-mail: MEDForum@pangea.org

www.MEDForum.org

Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Spain) - October 22, 23 and 24, 1998

The MED Project Ulixes 21 in favour of sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean, under the auspices of DG XI of the European Commission, is being carried out by EcoMediterrània, CLAPE-LR, ASMAPE, and APE Wilaya de Tétouan, all of them members of the MED Forum Network. Its aim is to spread and promote proposals for the sustainable development of tourism in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean.

In the setting of the spread of ideas on sustainable tourism, the project's intention is to hold an International Congress to present the project's main results, and at the same time to establish an active forum of discussion and debate on the need for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean and for the participation of civil society.

The Mediterranean, the world's most important tourist destination yet one of the spaces that has suffered most from mass tourism, favours sustainable tourism as a way to make economic development and maintenance of the vital role of tourism in the area compatible with preservation of its natural environment and cultural identity.

The aims of the congress are:

1. To open an active forum of discussion and debate on sustainable tourism and its implications. The workshops, in a setting of proliferation of debate groups, will emphasize the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society.
2. To create a platform for the exchange of know-how on sustainable tourism, again attaching great importance to the role of civil society. The aim is thus to ensure the compatibility of the presentation of a series of papers with the presentation of specific cases and pilot schemes.
3. To do everything to try to ensure the Congress has the greatest impact on the entire set of government institutions, potential tourists, civil society and the mass media. For these reasons, the Congress's aims include:

• The participation of relevant experts and managers in the field of sustainable tourism, able to inform on the successes and failures of the last six years of experiences in this field.

• The presence of a large number of NGOs linked to the Mediterranean and the environment, allowing greater involvement of civil society in this forum.

• The creation of working sessions on pilot projects at different scales (national, regional and local) and in different types of areas (saturated spaces, emergent spaces and natural spaces).

1. To present a proposal for action within the framework of sustainable tourism, synthesizing the main results of the presentations with the pilot experiences and proposing to the different levels of government, but especially within civil society, new formulas for more rational management of tourist resources. At the same time, the synthesis presented will propose measures for a more rational use of tourist resources. Consumption and management, guests and hosts must become the two faces of the new consolidated tourist model.
2. To make public the main results of MED Project Ulixes 21, for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean, in order to take stock of the actions carried out and to open new perspectives for work in the immediate future.

• First Subject Area

• The limits of sustainable tourism.
• Taking stock: the first results.
• Innovations and new horizons.

• Sustainability and regeneration in mature tourist spaces.
• The new emerging areas. Towards an alternative model
• Natural spaces and recreational use.

• Third Subject Area
• Tourism and biodiversity in the Mediterranean.
• Conservation and sustainable uses of biodiversity.
• Integrated coastal management.
• Communication and environmental education, tools to preserve biodiversity.

• Fourth Subject Area

• Local community and sustainable tourism. The keys to an equation.
• NGOs and tourism. Tasks fulfilled, proposals for the future.
• The private agents. Towards a more rational supply of tourist resources.

• Proposal for lines of activity to promote sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean.
• Towards sustainable development of tourism.
• Future challenges. Sustainable tourism, participatory tourism.
• Conclusions and proposals.

Barcelona (Spain) - November 19, 20, 1998

We plan to hold the Second General Assembly of MED Forum on the 21^st of November, which will approve the Working Program and Budget, for the next three years, and elect the members of the Network's managing bodies.

By the end of July you will receive the document, "MED Forum's Agenda 2000", which is now being drafted by an International Commission and will form the "Program of the Mediterranean NGOs for Sustainable Development". The idea is that this should be a tool for all the NGOs to debate between July and October so they can send their amendments in order to bring them together in a program drawn up by all the members of MED Forum with the collaboration of other institutions and NGOs.

We are looking for funding for members' expenses so that they can be present at these events, which we expect to be of great importance for the future of the Mediterranean NGOs, especially for the members of MED Forum, "The Network of Mediterranean NGOs".

In order to come to the V Mediterranean Environmental Forum and the General Assembly, it is essential to have been accepted as a member of the network and to be up to date with membership payments. The deadline for presentation of the documentation and to make payment is 15^th of August, which is one month before the meeting of the Executive Committee (September 16-20, 1998, in Turkey).

President (Zohir SEKKAL),

General Secretary General (Rafael MADUEÑO)

The Autonomous Government of Catalonia (Jordi PUJOL*)

The Spanish Government (Isabel TOCINO*),

Barcelona City Council (Joan CLOS*)

Paolo BÍFANI. Advisor to MED Forum. Consultant to UN.

Rafael MADUEÑO. General Secretary of MED Forum

Palestinian Hydrology Group. Palestine

Arab HOBALLAH. Joint coordinator, MAP/UNEP

The fight against desertification Zohir SEKKAL. President of MEA, Algeria

Ali EL HILI. Les Amis des Oiseaux. Tunisia

Rosa Maria FRAGUELL. Director of MED Project Ulixes 21, EcoMediterrània, Spain

To be decided

Energy, transport, air pollution

To be decided

MED Forum.

Those invited include:

European Union (Manuel MARÍN*)

MAP-UNEP (Lucien CHABASON*)

Autonomous Government of Catalonia (Departments of Cooperation and Environment), Barcelona Provincial Council (Manuel ROYES*)

(*) awaiting confirmation

Barcelona, November 21, 1998

Exhibition: "MED PROJECT ULIXES 21". For sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean

Barcelona, November 19-21, 1998

or planting Mediterranean trees and plants in Barcelona Botanical Garden

Barcelona, November 21, 1998

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is one out of several specialised EU agencies located in the various Member States. It was set up in 1990 and was based in Copenhagen in 1993. Its main objective is to provide the Community and Member States with:

. objective, reliable and comparable information to enable them to take the requisite measures to protect the environment, to assess the results of such measures and to ensure that the public is properly informed about the state of the environment,

. the necessary technical and scientific support to that end.

The EEA acts as an interface between data producers and information users by producing aggregated information that can then be put to work. Priority is given to information on: air and water quality, land-use and natural resources, waste management, noise pollution, chemicals hazardous to the environment, coastal protection and the state of the soil, fauna and flora, and biotopes.

The geographical scope of the Agency’s work is not confined to the Member States of the Union; most of the EFTA nations have joined. Trans-frontier and global phenomena are also covered, with the EEA seeking to align Europe’s environment and development agenda with UNCED agreements and other flagships of global consensus on sustainable development.

The EEA can be contacted by:

Mail: kongens Nytorv 6, DK – 1050 Copenhagen K, Denmark

e-mail: eea@eea.eu.int

1 - "Guide de la cooperation décentralisée en Méditerranée". This guide is a North-South Centre publication, which collates all information on who does what in the field of decentralised co-operation in the Mediterranean. An indispensable tool for anyone interested in this form of cooperation. Copies in French are available on request and free of charge from the North-South Centre.

2 - "International Co-operation for Habitat and Urban Development Directory of Non-Governmental Organisations in OECD Countries". This publication is the combined effort of the Development Centre of the OECD, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS-Habitat), the Research and Technology Exchange Group (GRET) and NGLS. A few copies of this directory are available for free distribution, and MED Forum had the pleasure to receive one. We will answer to your requests for specific addresses from the directory. With the same aim we want to inform you that we have one copy of the "Directory of non-governmental organisations active in sustainable development, part 1: Europe", published by OECD.

ALGERIA

BP 187

7, rue Larbi Alik, Hydra, Alger

Tel. 213 2 69 19 47

Fax.213 2 69 10 63

CYPRUS

Iris Tower, 8th Floor, 2 Agapinor Street, 1076 Nicosia

PO Box 34 80, 1683 Nicosia

Tel. 357 2 36 92 02

Fax.357 2 36 89 26

Email. ecdc@ cyta.com.cy

EGYPT

6 IBN Zanki Str, Zamalek, Cairo

Tel. 20 2 340 74 09

Fax.20 2 340 03 85

Email. dece@ idsc.gov.eg

ISRAEL

Paz Tower, 15th floor, 31-35 Betzalel Street, 52521 Ramat Gan

PO Box 35 13, 52136 Ramat Gan

Tel. 972 3 613 77 99

Fax.972 3 613 77 70

Email.eudelis@ goldnet.net.il

JORDAN

PO Box 92 67 94

Al Jahez Street nº 15, opposite Arab Potash Company, Shmeisani, Amman

Tel. 962 6 66 81 91/2

Fax.962 6 68 67 46

Email. ecdelamm@ go.com.jo

LEBANON

PO Box 16 40

Centre Saint Paul, Jounieh, Beyrouth

Tel. 961 9 93 71 47 / 8

Fax 961 9 93 71 54

MALTA

Villa "The Vines", 51 Ta’Xbiex Seafront, - Ta’Xbiex MSD 11, Malta

Tel. 356 34 48 91

Fax. 356 34 48 97

MOROCCO

BP 1302

2 bis, avenue Meknès, Rabat

Tel. 212 7 76 12 48

Fax 212 7 76 11 56

SYRIA

PO Box 1 12 69

Chakib Arslane Street, Abou Roumaneh, Damascus

Tel. 963 11 332 76 40

Fax.963 11 332 06 83

TUNISIA

BP 143, 21

avenue Jugurtha, Cité El Mahranjène, 1082 Tunis

Tel. 216 1 78 86 00

Fax 216 1 78 82 01

Email. delce.tunis@ ce.intl.tn

TURKEY

Ugur Mumcu Caddesi 88, 4th floor, 06700 Gaziosmanpasa, Ankara

Tel. 90 312 446 55 11

Fax.90 312 446 67 37

Email. eurep-tr@ ada.net.tr

WEST BANK AND GAZA

5, Sheikh Hussam Eddin Jarrallah St, Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem

PO Box 2 22 07, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem

Tel. 972 2 532 63 41, 972 7 86 04 28 (Gaza)

Fax 972 2 532 62 49, 972 7 86 11 78 (Gaza).

Les actions de sensibilisation, d’information et d’éducation en matière d’environnenment et de protection de la biodiversité sont des manifestations indispensables pour la prise de conscience du public.

Dans ce contexte le Mouvement Ecologique Algérien, dans le cadre d’un programme régional initié par l’UICN, participe à un programme relatif à l’Education Environnementale. Ce projet consiste à promouvoir l’éducation en matière de conservation de la biodiversité et de conservation de la nature. L’objectif étant de faciliter l’accés à l’information et à la connaissance pour le jeune public. Le MEA et l’Agence pour la Conservation de la Nature (ANN), membres de l’UICN, participent en Algérie à ce projet par la mise en place d’un groupe de travail pluridisciplinaire. L’ANN, agence gouvernementale, met à la disposition de ce groupe tous les moyens necessaires. L’action éducative de ce projet consiste dans une première phase, en la réalisation de matériels de sensibilisation notamment des fiches thèmatiques relatives à la nature et ses composantes visant à aider à découvrir et à faire apprécier les valeurs écologiques aux jeunes écoliers. Ces fiches sont diffusées au niveau des secteurs de l’éducation (écoles, maisons de jeunes, associations...). La deuxième phase de ce projet consiste à élaborer un guide sur la biodiversité pour les éducateurs et pour les écoliers, aussi il y a lieu de mettre en place un réseau national d’éducation environnementale afin d’assurer le suivi et d’évaluer l’impact des efforts accomplís. Actuellement le groupe de travail entame la deuxième phase. La méthodologie consiste à choisir des zones pilotes représentatives par leur spécificité et à définir à travers des fiches d’enquête des indicateurs pour la réalisation de ces guides.

Compte-rendu de la réunion OCDE-ONG du 2 avril 1998

Par: Joseph TRAVE. CLAPE-LR

Les 2 et 3 avril 1998, s’est tenue à Paris une réunion des Ministres de l’Environnement des 29 Pays industrialisés membres de l’OCCE pour discuter de l’application du protocole de Kyoto.

Le 2 avril, de 10h à 12h30, les Ministres ont rencontré les responsables d’organisations patronales et syndicales internationales liées à l’OCDE, respectivement le BIAC (Business and Industry committee to the OECD) et le TUAC (Trade union advisery committee to the OECD) ainsi que des ONG internationales: le BEE (John HONTELEZ), les Amis de la Terre (Kevin DUNION), le WWF (Charley ARDEN-CLARKE), le BUND/FOE (Joachim SPANGENBERG, Allemagne) et l’ANPED (Ms Iza KRUSZEWSKA, Pologne).

Ces 5 représentants ont présenté le point de vue et la position des ONG sur la globalisation économique et le développement soutenable. Un mémorandum a été remis à l’OCDE, signé par 32 associations internationales et nationales. 3 autres associations été invitées en tant qu’observateurs: MED Forum (Joseph TRAVE), France Nature Environnement (Georges BOURDILA) et Ecoropa (Etienne VERNET).

Les représentants des ONG ont fait part de leur crainte concernant la globalisation des activités économiques et de la nécessité de faire des programmes préemptifs à l’avenir.

La discussion a porté sur l’intérêt des accords volontaires: ceux-ci doivent accompagner les mesures réglementaires. L’importance de l’éco-efficience est admise par tous mais ses carences ont été critiquées par le représentant allemand des ONG.

La réduction prévue à 5% des rejets de CO2, devrait atteindre dans le futur 80% d’après John Hontelez, ce qui semble utopique et dangereux aux représentants du BIAC. Un moratoire est demandé au sujet du MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investment) qui inquiète aussi les syndicats.

Enfin, John Hontelez, a demandé que cette première réunion avec les ONG soit renouvelées, que les relations officielles s’établissent entre l’OCDE et les ONG et que dans cette optique des moyens soient mis à la disposition de ces dernières.

Cette demande est pertinente car l’impression générale de cette réunion est que les ONG étaient marginalisées par rapport au BIAC et au TUAC. Les comptes-rendus de la presse régionale (cf. L’indépendant 3/04/98) ne mentionnent même pas la présence des ONG.