Contacts: In Washington: Najat Yamouri E-mail: nyamouri@worldbank.org  Marseille, 3 June, 2009 - The World Bank, through its Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program (METAP), and the French Ministry of Justice, in partnership with the International Development Law Organization, will organize a Seminar on enforcement of environmental legislation in the Mediterranean on June 8 and 9, 2009 at the World Bank’s office in Marseille, France.  METAP is a multi-donor technical assistance program, financed during its current last phase by the Government of Finland, and aiming at integrating environment within the economic and social development agenda of Mediterranean countries, through, inter alia, the strengthening of capacities. Despite the numerous efforts undertaken in this regard at both national and regional levels, environmental management and protection challenges remain common and are increasingly complex.  The seminar will gather representatives of about 12 countries from both north and southern shores of the Mediterranean, and participants will be invited to look at issues that are common to the various countries, specifically with regard to coastal zone and marine pollution in the Mediterranean within the framework of the Barcelona Convention of 1995 and the 2002 Protocol. This idea was inspired by the earlier experience of the network of investigators and prosecutors for the North Sea, established with the support of the European Union and based on the magistrates network’s approach to facilitate law enforcement. The seminar constitutes the first official meeting of the Mediterranean Network of Prosecutors.  "Unless legal and judicial cooperation is promoted, sustainable development in the Mediterranean will be lacking essential elements. This unique event seeks to help bridge this gap by bringing together key legal and judicial officials and setting the basis to allow this cooperation to further develop. Decisions and rules need to be enforced, or they will be ineffectual in preventing further deterioration of the Mediterranean environment" says Mats Karlsson, World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb.  The objectives of the network are to promote the exchange of information and experience; to identify best practices and facilitate the adjustment of national legal and regulatory frameworks; and to promote awareness of the various actors engaged in the fight against marine pollution and to identify their training and capacity needs.  It is expected that, over time, the network will contribute in promoting greater operational cooperation in investigation and prosecution. Practical initiatives will be considered, such as case studies, harmonization in drafting techniques for prosecution forms, the organization of joint training sessions, joint analysis of national legislation, and the establishment of joint information and alert systems.
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For more information on World Bank’s activities in Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East and North Africa, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/mena, http://www.worldbank.org/france  |
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