Tanger hosts the second edition of the MEDCOP Climate
The Mediterranean forum against climate change, which took place on the 18th and 19th of July, was part of the preparations for COP22 in Marrakech
On July 18-19, 2016, the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region – member of ORU Fogar - and the Moroccan Government organized the MEDCOP22 in the city of Tangier, in collaboration with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). The second edition of the Mediterranean forum MEDCOP Climate – the first one took place in Marseille last year – served as an opportunity to prepare the XXII United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP22), which will be held on November 7-18, 2016 in Marrakech, after the 2015 Paris COP21 summit.
Under the motto “Let’s act for climate”, Tanger’s MEDCOP had the participation of over 3 000 territorial and economical actors from the Mediterranean Region, as well as African, European and Asian countries. The meeting also had the objective of designing an action plan to boost an Euro-Mediterranean agenda against global warming, as well as the creation of concrete regional initiatives in order to implement the Paris Agreement. “In light of the COP22 in Marrakech, it’s essential to adopt a coordinated regional view in order to reach climate change objectives in one of the most sensitive regions to the negative impact of this phenomenon” said the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma’s President, Ilyas Omari.
After two days of great debates, workshops, and diverse parallel events, the forum ended with the adoption of the statement “Appel de Tanger”, a document which calls for collective mobilization, cooperation among regions and the implementation of an adaptation strategy based on specific programs in each territory. The call sets ten priorities linked to water, energy, food security, maritime biodiversity and fishing, tourism, transports, building sector, green economy and the effective management of resources. Aside from the conference, the Governors and Regional Presidents, Mayors and the main networks of local authorities of the Mediterranean context adopted the “Charter for climate governance of the Mediterranean territories”.
Finally, President El Omari announced that the third MEDCOP will be held in 2017 in Palermo, capital of the Italian region Sicily, and the fourth one will take place in Sousse, Tunisia, in 2018.
Related content:
Charter for climate governance of the Mediterranean territories. Charter adopted by local and regional authorities in MEDCOP22, 21/07/2016
Images: MEDCOP Climat Tanger 2016
