An International meeting on the protection of the Mediterranean is held in Hammamet
Tunis , June 26, 2007 (TunisiaOnline)--An international meeting aiming at finding appropriate solutions to limit pollution in the Mediterranean is currently being held in Hammamet.
The meeting that groups the coordinators of MEDPOL, an organization committed to limit the hazards of pollution in the ‘mare nostrum' is also attended by some twenty representatives from Mediterranean , as well as European countries.
The 3- day event ( June 25 to 27, 2007 ), is part of the Action Program for the Mediterranean (APM) and is placed under the aegis of the United Nations Environmental Program.
This meeting which constitutes the technical and scientific framework of the APM will provide an occasion for participants to examine the main achievements of the program during 2006 and 2007 and to consider the program that has been set up for the next two years.
In his opening remarks to the conference, the Minister of the environment and sustainable development, Mr Nadhir Hamada, stressed that this meeting reflects the Mediterranean countries' commitment to boost cooperation between the different countries in the area in order to promote a clean environment. Such an initiative he said, aims at optimizing the Euro- Mediterranean partnership so as to make of the Mediterranean “a space of exchange and shared prosperity.”
The minister further stressed the necessity of reconsidering the strategies used in fighting pollution, specifying that sea pollution is mainly caused by ships and that the creation of protected areas merely in the North, results only in displacing pollution to the South.
He also emphasized that Tunisia 's adherence to the conventions relative to the protection of the Mediterranean , is indicative of its strong commitment to make environmental protection one of its priorities.
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