The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

4th meeting of the Mediterrean Wetlands Committee, Sesimbra, Portugal, 21-23 May 2001

Fourth Meeting of the Mediterranean Wetlands Committee (MedWet/Com4)
Sesimbra, Portugal, 21-23 May 2001

Provisional Agenda and Programme

DOC. MC4/01

Fourth Meeting of the Mediterranean Wetlands Committee
Sesimbra, Portugal, 21-23 May 2001

Provisional Agenda

1. Approval of the Agenda [DOC MC4/01]

2. "From Djerba to Sesimbra: Report on the MedWet Initiative, April 2000 to April 2001" [DOC MC4/02]. Main points of discussion:

2.1 New MedWet Coordination structure
2.2 Developments concerning the MedWet networks
2.3 Major projects in the region

a) Establishment of the Prespa Park by Albania, Greece and the FYR of Macedonia
b) MedWet/Coast
c) Other important developments briefly introduced by MedWet/Com members

2.4 Progress with the MedWet Inventory System
2.5 MedWet in the Mediterranean Committee on Sustainable Development and the MoU between the Ramsar Bureau and the UNEP/MAP Coordination Unit
2.5 Change of the Mediterranean Technical Advisory Committee (MEDTAC) into Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med), with MedWet as one of its founding members

3. Strategic and operational planning

3.1 The draft Ramsar Strategic Plan 2003-2008 and the Mediterranean specificities [DOC MC4/03].
3.2 MedWet work plan 2001-2002 [DOC MC4/04]
3.3. Towards the MedWet operational plan 2003-2005 [DOC MC4/05]

4. Ramsar COP8

4.1 The Provisional Agenda for Ramsar COP8: inputs from MedWet/Com [DOC MC4/06]
4.2 Ensuring the long-term future of the MedWet Initiative: proposal from MedWet/Com to Ramsar COP8 [DOC MC4/07]
4.3 The Mediterranean presence at Ramsar COP8 [DOC MC4/08]

5. Assistance to the Black Sea and Baltic Sea Wetlands initiatives

6. Any other issues

7. Date and place of MedWet/Com5

Theme of the technical session: "Mediterranean salinas: Tradition and sustainable use"

Fourth Meeting of the Mediterranean Wetlands Committee
Sesimbra, Portugal, 21-23 May 2001

Provisional Agenda and Programme

Sunday 20 May

08:30-18:00 Excursion (see document INFO MC4/O9)
08:30 Departure from Hotel do Mar
18:00 Return to Hotel do Mar

Monday, 21 May 2001

08:00-09:00 Registration of participants
09:00-10:00 Opening session

Welcome by the host country representative and by the Chair of the Meeting
Presentation by the host country: "State and management of Portuguese wetlands"

10:00-10:30 Coffee / tea break
10:30-13:00 First plenary session

1. Approval of the Agenda [DOC MC4/01] (5’)

2. "From Djerba to Sesimbra: Report on the MedWet Initiative, April 2000 to April 2001" [DOC MC4/02]. Main points of presentation:

2.1 New MedWet Co-ordination structure (Delmar Blasco, Ramsar, 10’)
2.2 Developments concerning the MedWet networks (Thymio Papayannis, Ramsar / MedWet, 5’, Pere Tomas Vives, Tour du Valat, 5’)
2.3 Major projects in the region

a) Establishment of the Prespa Park by Albania, Greece and the FYR of Macedonia (Representative of one of the three states involved, 5’)
b) MedWet/Coast (Lamia Mansour, Tour du Valat, 10’)
c) Other important developments briefly introduced by MedWet/Com members (5 X 5’ = 25’)

2.4 Progress of the MedWet Inventory System

Introduction and general scope (Nick Davidson, Ramsar DSG, 5’)
MedWet Inventories Working Group and Technical Unit and report from the Sesimbra workshop (Joćo Carlos Farinha, ICN, 5’)
Presentation of the validated new version of the MedWet database (EKBY, 10’)

2.5 MedWet in the Mediterranean Committee on Sustainable Development and the MoU between the Ramsar Bureau and the UNEP/MAP Co-ordination Unit (Thymio Papayannis 5’)
2.6 Change of the Mediterranean Technical Advisory Committee (MEDTAC) into Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med), with MedWet as one of its founding members (Thymio Papayannis, 5’)
General discussion on the report (60’)

13:00-14:30 Lunch break
14:30-15:30 Second plenary session

3. Strategic and operational planning

3.1 The draft Ramsar Strategic Plan 2003-2008 and the Mediterranean specificities [DOC MC4/03] (Nick Davidson, Ramsar DSG, 10’)
3.2 MedWet work plan 2001-2002 [DOC MC4/04] (Thymio Papayannis, 10’)
3.3. Towards the MedWet operational plan 2003-2005 [DOC MC4/05] (Thymio Papayannis, 10’)
Discussion (30’)

15:30-16:00 Coffee / tea break
16:00-18:00

4. Ramsar COP8

4.1 The Provisional Agenda for Ramsar COP8: inputs from MedWet/Com [DOC MC4/06] (Delmar Blasco, Ramsar SG, 15’)
4.2 Ensuring the long-term future of the MedWet Initiative: proposal from MedWet/Com to Ramsar COP8 [DOC MC4/07] (Delmar Blasco, Ramsar SG, 15’)
4.3 The Mediterranean presence at Ramsar COP8 [DOC MC4/08] (Jean Jalbert, TdV, 20’)
Discussion (70’)

Tuesday, 22 May 2001

09:00-13:00 Technical session on:

"Mediterranean salinas: Tradition and sustainable use" (chaired by Nick Davidson, Ramsar DSG)

09:00-10:30 Keynote presentations (3 X 30’)
10:30-11:00 Coffee / tea break
11:00-12:00 Short (5’) presentations on the theme of salinas by MedWet/Com members and general discussion
12:00-13:00 Discussion and conclusions
13:00-14:30 Lunch break
14.30-18:00 Two workshops (One in English language, one in French) on the themes:

Priorities for the MedWet Co-ordination Unit and Networks for 2001-2003
Mediterranean inputs to Ramsar COP8

Wednesday, 23 May 2001

09:00-13:00 Third plenary session

09:00-10:00

5. Assistance to the Black Sea and Baltic Sea Wetlands initiatives
6. Any other issues
7. Date and place of MedWet/Com5

10:00-10:30 Coffee / tea break
10:30-13:00

Recommendations from the Working Groups and general conclusions / agreements of MedWet/Com4

Close of the meeting

For further information about MedWet or the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 21 April 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.