The Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP)
COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols. The twenty-two Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols meet every two years to review the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols and take Decisions.
The Bureau
A rotating Bureau of six representatives of the Contracting Parties, elected in their personal capacity by the Ordinary Meetings of the Contracting Parties, provides guidance on the implementation of the Programme of work in the interim period.
The members of the Bureau of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols for the 2024-2025 biennium are the following:
- President: Mr. Mitja Bricelj (Slovenia)
- Vice-Presidents:
Ms. Heba Sharawy (Egypt)
Ms. Nassira Rheyati (Morocco)
Ms. Marie Therese Gambin (Malta)
Ms. Itziar Martín Partida (Spain) - Rapporteur: Ms. Djurdjina Bulatović (Montenegro)
- Ex officio: Ms. Fatma Varank (Türkiye)
MAP Focal Points
The Contracting Parties appoint Focal Points to review the progress of work and ensure the implementation of recommendations at the national level. The MAP Focal Points serve as the official conduit for communication between the Secretariat and Contracting Parties. They are appropriately empowered persons, officially from the administration of the Contracting Party, designated by the competent Ministry/bodies that represent the Contracting Parties at the Meeting of the Contracting Parties.
The Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD)
The MCSD was established in line with Article 4 of the Barcelona Convention as an advisory body to the Contracting Parties to assist them in their efforts to integrate environmental issues in their socioeconomic programmes and to promote sustainable development policies in the Mediterranean region and countries.
Acting as a forum for experience sharing and peer learning, the Commission is unique in its composition and includes not only government representatives but also local authorities, socio-economic actors, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, the scientific community and parliamentarians.
All MCSD members participate in its deliberations on an equal footing. The MCSD notably coordinates the preparation of the Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development (MSSD), as a strategic framework document for all stakeholders and partners to translate the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at regional, sub-regional, national and local levels.
The Contracting Parties first adopted the MSSD in 2005. A revised MSSD covering the 2016-2025 period was adopted in 2016.
The Compliance Committee
The Barcelona Convention Compliance Committee reflects the firm commitment of the 22 Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention to achieve implementation of and compliance with the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols.
The Barcelona Convention Compliance Mechanism at a glance
To facilitate and promote compliance with the obligations under the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, the Barcelona Convention Compliance Mechanism:
- Establishes a Compliance Committee dedicated to help Parties to implement the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols;
- Establishes a procedure that is non-adversarial, transparent, preventive and non-binding in nature;
- Takes into account the specific situation of each Party, paying particular attention to developing countries;
- Considers specific situations of actual or potential non-compliance by individual Parties with a view to determining the facts and causes of the situation;
- Promotes compliance and addresses cases of non-compliance by providing Parties advice and non-binding recommendations; and
- Considers, at the request of the Meeting of the Contracting Parties, general issues of compliance under the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols.
As the supreme decision-making body of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, COP adopts all the Decisions governing the Compliance Committee. This includes the adoption of the biennial Programme of Work of the Compliance Committee and the election of its members, as shown in Decision IG. 24/1 adopted in 2019 by the 21st Meeting of the Contracting Parties.
