The 24th Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the Barcelona Convention, hosted by Egypt in Cairo (December 2–5, 2025), marks the Convention’s 50th anniversary. Operating under the slogan “Our Mediterranean, Our Future,” this conference is a critical juncture where 21 Mediterranean countries and the EU must move from policy planning to rigorous enforcement to address escalating environmental threats.
Core Challenges and Strategic Focus
The Mediterranean is facing major pollution threats, particularly plastic pollution, despite being a vital resource for food security and green energy. The conference’s agenda is built around four strategic pillars to tackle these challenges:
1. Pollution Control: A significant effort will be dedicated to combating marine litter, with specific focus on single-use plastics.
2. Blue Economy: The goal is to facilitate a transition to a sustainable blue economy, carefully balancing economic activities (like tourism, fisheries, and shipping) with necessary environmental preservation.
3. Climate Resilience: The adoption of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Framework (2026–2035) is a key expectation, designed to boost the region’s defenses against rising sea levels and warming waters.
4. Biodiversity: The conference will review updates to the Strategic Action Programme for the Conservation of Biological Diversity (SAP BIO) to enhance the protection of endangered Mediterranean species.
The Imperative: From Planning to Enforcement
The Barcelona Convention, a legally binding regional framework established in 1976 and revised in 1995, is guided by critical principles like the precautionary principle and the polluter-pays principle. The Convention relies on seven specific Protocols—the “Barcelona system” or MAP legal framework—covering areas like Dumping, Land-Based Sources, Biodiversity, and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).
The 50th-anniversary context places high pressure on delegates to implement these protocols, especially those concerning hazardous waste and coastal zone management. Achieving tangible results requires harmonized regulations and enforcement across all Mediterranean countries; therefore, cooperation is not voluntary but crucial to minimize different types of pollution.
Expected Policy Outcomes
COP 24 is poised to deliver several high-impact political and policy outputs:
• The “Cairo Declaration”: This political declaration will set the strategic direction for the next decade, focusing on stricter environmental governance, clean technology, and community participation.
• Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) 2026-2035: This updated ten-year plan will promote environmental sustainability and economic development, prioritizing the green economy transition, climate change, and marine/coastal areas.
• New Climate Activity Centre: A decision is expected on launching a new Regional Activity Centre on Climate Change (CC/RAC), potentially hosted by Türkiye, to centralize climate data and policy for the region.
• Shipping Pollution Control: Progress on the designation of the Mediterranean as a Sulphur Oxides Emission Control Area (SOx ECA) will be reviewed, a major step to reduce air pollution from international shipping.
The conference reinforces Egypt’s leadership role in regional environmental diplomacy, following previous COPs in locations like Portoroz (COP 23) and Antalya (COP 22). The 50th-anniversary context places high pressure on delegates to move from “planning” to “enforcement,” particularly regarding the protocols on hazardous waste and coastal zone management.
