MEDEVENTUN III: A week in Tunis devoted to biodiversity conservation in North Africa

More than 80 participants from North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean (i.e. Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia) together with representatives from IUCN member states, governmental and non-government agencies, IUCN commissions and partner organizations are meeting from 10 to 14 February in Tunisia to participate in three events dedicated to promote biodiversity conservation.

This will be the third year that the IUCN Center for Cooperation for the Mediterranean (IUCN-Med) and the Tunisian Ministry of Local Affairs and the Environment work together to bring together several international initiatives during the one-week event “MEDEVENTUN” in Tunisia. The ultimate goal is to increase the visibility of new initiatives and efforts supporting biodiversity co.nservation in the South and East Mediterranean

Protecting at least 30% of sea and terrestrial areas

The new draft proposal released by the international Convention on Biological Diversity to create a post-2020 global biodiversity framework proposes protection of "at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030", to stop the loss of ecosystems. This text, which will be negotiated at the COP15 meeting in Kunming (China) October 2020, especially intends to conserve Key Biodiversity Areas through "Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs)".

The CBD also encouraged IUCN and other specialized organizations to continue assisting countries in the identification of OECMs while providing both scientific and technical advice to monitor them. The main objective of the regional workshop in Tunisia, organized by IUCN-Med and the World Commission on Protected Areas is to promote OECMs and support countries in identifying and inventorizing potential OECMs in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

“The workshop will inform government officials and key stakeholders on the CBD decision on OECMs, as well as on the main directions and initiatives of UN agencies and global organizations, such as IUCN and FAO. The workshop will allow a discussion on OECMs in the regional context, covering both marine and terrestrial areas (with particular attention to conservation measures and areas for fisheries) and will present specific examples and potential case studies in the region”, explains Imen Meliane from IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas. This workshop is supported by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Japan Biodiversity Fund.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The Ministry of Local Affairs and Environment in Tunisia has commited to developing a national Red List of endangered species. The Tunisian Ministry will start with a first training workshop on 11-12 February, supported by IUCN-Med to develop the Red List for avifauna and flora in Tunisia.

With the support of BirdLife International, as the red list authority for all bird assessments, IUCN-Med has launched an initiative to examine the situation of birds of prey in the Northeast region, which aims to serve as a reference and provide guidance for future research and conservation actions in this region.

As part of this initiative, from 13-14 February 2020, a Red List assessment worksop for raptors and vultures in North Africa will bring together experts from the 5 Norh African countries of North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia), as well as international experts working on target species in the region and representatives from BirdLife International Science.

Events:
 Regional workshop on “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures”
Tunis, 10-11 February 2020

 Training workshop on the IUCN National Red List of Threatened Species
Tunis, 11-12 February 2020

 Red List Assessment Workshop for North African Raptors and Vultures
Tunis, 13-14 February 2020