UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME MEDITERRANEAN ACTION PLAN - Report of the 7 Meeting of the Ecosystem Approach Coordination Group

The Meeting acknowledged the progress achieved on the implementation of the EcAp Roadmap in 2018-2019, emphasizing the importance of this stream of work as a priority for UNEP/MAP, and welcoming the proposed focus on the implementation of the IMAP and the delivery of a data-based 2023 MED QSR, while noting the challenges associated with it. [...] The Meeting stressed the importance of the meetings of experts and of the work of the CORMONs to ensure expert inputs and collaboration on strengthening the monitoring and assessment methodologies and standards in order to address existing knowledge gaps and support the development of a data-based 2023 MED QSR. [...] In response, the Secretariat acknowledged the comments received, reminding the process undertaken for the development of the 2023 MED QSR Roadmap and Needs Assessment and explaining the reasons behind opting for the suggested level of detail of the presentation of the Roadmap. [...] Following the Secretariat’s Update on the implementation of the Ecosystem Approach Roadmap (document UNEP/MED WG.467/3), the Meeting acknowledged the progress achieved for the implementation of the Ecosystem Approach Roadmap and of related Decisions of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, since the 6th Meeting of the Ecosystem Approach (EcAp) Coordination Group he. [...] The Meeting pointed out the importance of re-establishing the Online Working Groups (OWG) for all IMAP clusters, to work to support the process of the preparation of the 2023 MED QSR under the guidance of the CORMONs, including on the scales of monitoring along the scales of assessment, and to identify and apply nested assessment areas in order to support UNEP/MED WG.467/18 Page 10 the development.