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

DOC. MC4/04

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

MedWet Work Plan 2001-2002

01 The MedWet Work Plan 2001 was prepared in September 2000 by the MW/C and was incorporated in the Ramsar Work Plan approved by the Standing Committee in October 2000. This work plan is available on the Ramsar web site at: http: //ramsar.org/key_workplan_bureau_2001.htm

A hard copy of this 50-plus pages document will be available at the meeting for consultation. In early 2001, it became apparent that the MedWet Work Plan was too ambitious and could not be fully implemented.

02 The main reason was the difficulty and time of the transition to a new MedWet Coordination. Although the decision to establish the MedWet Coordination Unit in Athens was taken in October 2000, the office has not yet become operational (mainly for administrative reasons of the host country). In addition, the vacancy announcement for the new MedWet Coordinator, which ended on 28 February 2001 had to be extended until 30 April 2001 to offer the opportunity to apply to a number of potential candidates that had missed the deadline. Thus, from the beginning of the year, MedWet has been without official coordination. At his request, Thymio Papayannis [As Senior Advisor on Mediterranean Wetlands of the Convention on Wetlands.] has ceased to be the MedWet Coordinator working full time on 31 December 2000. He has agreed to continue serving MedWet until the new structure is in place and to organise the transition, but at 30% of his time. In spite of having dedicated more than 30% of his time to MedWet, he has been unable to cope with all of the ever-expanding MedWet activities and demands.

03 The new MedWet Coordination Unit is expected to be in place during the second half of 2001. Still it will need a certain period for training and adaptation, and to be able to perform fully from 2002, with a much larger capacity than MedWet Coordinator in the past. In view of this situation, it is proposed that the MedWet/Com discusses the priorities of the MedWet Initiative during 2001 and 2002 and provides guidance to the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands and to the MedWet Coordination Unit. The following priorities are suggested as a base for discussion.

MedWet priorities in 2001

04 Projects and initiatives:

• Support of the MedWetCoast project.
• Support of the Prespa Park transboundary initiative (Albania, Greece, FYR of Macedonia).
• Support and expansion of the Neretva River transboundary project (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia).
• Contribution to the development of GEF projects for Syria and Turkey.
• Development of a SMAP project for October 2001, after a careful evaluation of the possibilities.
• Collaboration with RAC-SPA, IUCN, WWF and ONCFS on projects for Libyan wetlands.
• Development of an Interreg IIIB proposal as a basis for the MedWet Regions network.

05 Institutional and administrative work:

• Establishment and organisation of the MedWet Coordination Office in Athens.
• Follow-up of MedWet/Com4 conclusions.
• Development of an Operational Plan.

06 Partnerships:

• Active participation in MCSD.
• Playing a significant role in the transition from MEDTAC to GWP-Med and act as a core member of its Partnership Committee.
• Strengthening the collaboration with the Barcelona Convention through specific actions, (such as the SAP-BIO project, Libyan wetlands, Neretva River).
• Strengthening the collaboration with UNDP/GEF through specific actions (MedWetCoast project, projects in Turkey and Syria, Prespa Park).

07 Networks:

• Restructuring and energising the MedWet Technical Network.
• Strengthening and expanding the MedWet Regions Network.
• Developing the MedWet North African Wetland Network.

MedWet priorities in 2002

08 Projects and initiatives:

• Assistance to the development of transboundary projects for Dojran Lake (Greece, FYR of Macedonia) and Evros/Maritza/Meric River (Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey).
• Development of a project on climate change and wetlands in the Mediterranean (perhaps in collaboration with the Plan Bleu).

09 Institutional and administrative work:

• Organisation of MedWet/Com5.
• Contribution to the organisation of Ramsar COP8 (Valencia, November 2002) and planning of the Mediterranean presence during the event.
• Celebration of the 10th anniversary of the MedWet Initiative.
• Development of an Operational Plan.

10 Partnerships:

• Establishment of a framework of collaboration with the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in Malaga.

11 Networks:

• Launching of the MedWet North African Wetland Network.
• Launching of the MedWet/NGOs Network.
• Developing the MedWet/Sites Network.
• Continuing the support of the MedWet/Regions Network.

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 kimberly_mcclurg). Posted 22 April 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.