Jeddah
Convention • Regional Organization for the Conservation
of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA)
Convention:
The objective of the Regional Convention for the Conservation
of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment (Jeddah
Convention),
adopted in 1982 and in force in 1985, is to ensure conservation
of the environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by the promotion,
on a regional basis, of environmental protection and natural
resources management in the marine and coastal areas of the
region.
There
is also a Protocol
Concerning Regional Co-operation in Combating Pollution by
Oil and Other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency
(adopted in 1982, in force in 1985).
PERSGA:
The Regional
Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), is an official regional
organization based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, responsible for
the developmentand implementation of regional programmes for
the protection and conservation of the marine environment of
the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and was formally established in
1996, with the signing of the Cairo
Declaration by all cooperating parties to the Jeddah Convention.
Major
functions of PERSGA include the implementation of the Jeddah
Convention, the Action Plan, and the Protocol. The organization
has also been given responsibility for the preparation and
implementation of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) and
related activities. PERSGA has played an active role in promoting
regional cooperation and has recently supported regional workshops
concerning environmental assessment (EA), Marine Protected
Areas, navigation risks and living marine resources.
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Strategic
Action Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden • PERSGA
The
goal of the Strategic
Action Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (SAP)
is to provide a framework for the long-term conservation of
the unique habitats of the Region and to promote the sustainable
management of renewable marine resources. The Programme was
initiated in 1998 and is scheduled to end after four years.The
countries involved include: Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. See also PERSGA. |
Gulf
of Aqaba Environmental Action Plan
As
part of the Regional Environmental Action Plan for the Gulf
of Aqaba, this World
Bank-GEF International Waters project
will
- develop
regional collaborative mechanisms for strengthening the
capacity to protect coastal zone and marine biodiversity;
- develop
and enforce the legal framework and regulations for control
of transboundary pollution;
- provide
safeguards against oil pollution;
- establish
and implement guidelines for sustainable development of
the coastal zone;
- assess
the effects of wastewater seepage on the quality and level
of the transboundary water table;
- implement
a plan to control solid waste impacts on marine and coastal
waters; and
- demarcate
and manage a marine protected area.
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Jedda
Memorandum of Understanding
The
Jeddah
Memorandum of Understanding aims at "strengthening
cooperation and coordination in the planning and implementation
of global and regional environmental programmes in West Asia".
It was signed in 1998, between UNEP and the Council of Arab
Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE), PERSGA, and
ROPME. |
Jeddah
Declaration
The
Jeddah
Declaration, signed in 2000, "considers urgent environmental
issues from an Islamic perspective on the basis of the universality
of Islam, in the sense that it is a religion that addresses
all man kind. It aims to integrate ethical and moral component
into environmental policies. --- Within the framework of its
global environment programme, UNEP would provide technical support
and facilitate the linkage between its various global and regional
programmes, with those developed by the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC), regarding the integration of ethical
and moral components into their programmes". |
Council
of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE)
"Recognizing
the urgent need to develop a clear vision and strategy for the
future of a well-identified Arab environmental action, the Council
of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) issued
the Abu
Dhabi Declaration in 2001. The Declaration stresses
the urgent need to alleviate poverty and improve the living
standards and economic conditions of the average Arab citizen
through programmes of sustainable development and environmental
protection, based on the rational use of natural resources".
It "calls
for a new strategy based on a deeper understanding of the global
developments in the various fields of environmental action:
- the
application of modern environmental information and
accounting systems to help decision makers realize the feasibility
of investing in environment-friendly practices;
- the
adoption of Cleaner Production strategies;
- capacity
building and institutional development through the development
of human resources, the improvement of educational
systems, and encouraging Arab media to project a better
understanding and in-depth analysis of regional and
international environmental issues, and realizing that civil
society must be empowered to play a more effective role
in environmental decision-making".
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UNEP
Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA)
The
mission of the
UNEP Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) is to link and
integrate the environmental priorities and programmes of West
Asia with the global environmental programmes of UNEP.
"The coordination established with CAMRE, PERSGA, and ROPME
is a major step towards enhancing cooperation in the region.
The support provided by the Bahrain, the host country, and the
GCC contributes significantly to the sustainability of UNEP’s
efforts in the region". |
UN
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
The
UN Economic and Social Commission
for Western Asia (ESCWA) has a mandate for raising the level
of economic development and cooperation among the countries
of its region and between them and other parts of the world.
The Natural Resources and Environment Management Programme under
its Energy, Natural Resources and Environment Division includes
a water resources component covering issues like assessment
of water resources in ESCWA member states; harmonisation of
environmental standards in the water sector of ESCWA member
states; and Progress achieved in the implementation of Chapter
18 of Agenda 21. ESCWA coordinates its activities with those
of the major departments -offices of the United Nations at Headquarters
and of specialized agencies and intergovernmental organizations,
such as the League of Arab States, the Gulf Cooperation Council
and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, with a view
to avoid duplication and ensure complementarity, synergy and
exchange of information. |
African
Development Bank
The
African Development
Bank (ADB) is the premier financial development institution
of Africa, dedicated to combating poverty and improving the
lives of people of the continent and engaged in the task of
mobilising resources towards the economic and social progress
of its Regional Member Countries. The bank's Environment and
Sustainable Development Unit "is the focal point for addressing
and integrating the cross-cutting themes of environment, population,
gender, poverty reduction, NGO relations/local participation,
and institutional development into the bank's operations."
The bank's environmental
guidelines include coastal and marine resource management,
and fisheries. See also the bank's country
environmental profiles for its members. |
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Agreements