MAP Meets Egyptian Authorities in Preparation of MCSD Meeting Next June

Preparatory talks were ongoing in January in Cairo between UNEP/MAP representatives and Egyptian authorities, in particular Dr. Mawabeh Abdel Moneim Abou El-Azm, CEO of the Egyptian Environment Affairs Agency (EEAA), regarding the preparations for the next meeting of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development which will be hosted by the EEAA on 22-24 June, 2009 in Cairo.

While in Cairo UNEP/MAP Coordinator also met with the Minister of State for the Environment Ing. Maged George.

Minister Maged George expressed his appreciation to UNEP/MAP for having given the opportunity to the EEAA to host the next meeting of the MCSD which will be discussing "Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation - Experience and Strategies in the Mediterranean". Minister George, who will address the opening session of the MCSD, expressed his Ministry's full support to the event. Minister George said that subject matter of the meeting is of great because of the negative impact that climate change is expected to have in Egypt and in the whole of Africa for that matter.

Minister Maged Geroge invited UNEP/MAP to participate at the international conference on Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean which will be organized next March in Monaco together with the French Ministry for the Environment within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).