Forum Mondial de la Mer - Bizerte 2024: Catalyzing Urgent Actions for a Sustainable Future in the Mediterranean
On September 13, 2024, the 7th Forum Mondial de la Mer-Bizerte took place in Bizerte, Tunisia, and served as the host for the Second BlueMissionMed Annual Event, attracting outstanding engagement with around 100 in-presence participants and 40k online viewers. The Forum proved to be a pivotal event, uniting over seventy experts, policymakers, and representatives from international organizations to address the Mediterranean’s most pressing environmental issues and to achieve the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and waters by 2030” objectives in the basin.
A Voice from the South: Empowering the Southern Mediterranean
The Forum Mondial de la Mer-Bizerte has firmly established itself as a vital platform for the southern Mediterranean, amplifying the voices of nations from this region in the global dialogue on ocean conservation.
To that aim, the Forum fosters a critical dialogue between the northern and southern shores, bridging gaps and promoting cohesion in addressing shared challenges. In doing so, it helps ensure that Mediterranean voices — particularly those from the Global South — are represented on the world stage, strengthening regional solidarity ahead of key global events, such as the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) taking place in Nice next year, in June 2025.
One of the standout features of the Bizerte Forum is its emphasis on the dissemination of successful practices and cutting-edge technological solutions. The event gathered startups, civil society organizations, environmental associations, and NGOs that presented tangible, locally driven solutions to the complex environmental challenges faced by the region.
These solutions demonstrated that while environmental challenges in the Mediterranean are daunting, the region also serves as a hub of innovation and creativity. Collaborative projects showcased during the Forum have the potential to be scaled up across the Mediterranean and beyond.
Additionally, many members of the BlueMissionMed Consortium actively contributed to various sessions of the event: Fedra Francocci (CNR) presented BlueMissionMed; Christina Zeri (HCMR) showcased the BlueMissionMed Operational Implementation Roadmap; Josep Canals-Molina (MedCities) addressed the pollution issue; Stefania Campogianni (WWF) focused on fisheries; and Giulia Antidormi (SDG4MED) highlighted community mobilization and involvement. And, of course, Rym Benzina, President of La Saison Bleue, organized the event and played a key role as the host.
Raising Global Awareness: A Call to Governments and Citizens
The Forum’s participants stressed the necessity of raising global awareness about the Mediterranean’s environmental challenges. The Mediterranean is in fact a vital ecosystem that supports millions of livelihoods, influences regional climate patterns, and plays a crucial role in global marine biodiversity. Yet, it remains under severe threat from rising temperatures, overfishing, pollution, and ecosystem degradation.
Governments were called upon to take action, reconsidering existing policies and proposing new frameworks aimed at sustainable, long-term development, while also fostering meaningful engagement with local stakeholders and communities.
The announcement of the European Pact for the Ocean was a key highlight of the Forum, with the objective to align Mediterranean conservation efforts with the broader European marine protection agenda, offering a unified response to the environmental crisis.
The European Union, through the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and waters by 2030”, plays a central role in this process, as highlighted by Elisabetta Balzi (Head of Unit “Ocean, Seas and Waters”, European Commission). Projects such as BlueMissionMed endorse this common goal by connecting and empowering stakeholders in the Mediterranean, as explained by the BlueMissionMed project manager Fedra Francocci.
The Bizerte Declaration: A Roadmap for UNOC3 and Beyond
The 2024 Forum Mondial de la Mer culminated in the adoption of the Bizerte Declaration, a manifesto outlining concrete actions to be presented at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025. This declaration seeks to lay the foundation for a comprehensive Mediterranean strategy to protect marine ecosystems, promote sustainable development, and enhance regional cooperation.
The declaration specifically calls for:
- Reforming ocean governance to reduce fragmentation and improve collaboration between Mediterranean countries;
- Restoring key marine ecosystems, with a focus on biodiversity hotspots such as coral reefs, wetlands, and seagrass beds;
- Mobilizing local governments to actively participate in marine conservation efforts and integrate sustainability into urban planning and economic activities;
- Engaging the private sector, particularly in developing green technologies and funding marine conservation projects;
- Strengthening scientific research, with an emphasis on data sharing across borders to inform decision-making and track progress on environmental goals.
The declaration also reinforced the need to implement the European Green Deal and other international agreements, with a focus on ocean protection.
Conclusion: A Collective Responsibility for the Future of the Mediterranean
The 7th Forum Mondial de la Mer in Bizerte marked a critical juncture in the effort to protect the Mediterranean. Its success lies in its ability to unite diverse stakeholders—from local communities and startups to international policymakers—around a shared vision for a sustainable future. By amplifying the voices of the southern Mediterranean and highlighting the innovative solutions emerging from the region, the Forum showcased that regional collaboration and innovative thinking can produce powerful, scalable solutions.
The momentum generated by the Bizerte Forum will carry forward into upcoming key events, notably the Blue Africa Summit in Tangier on October 10, 2024, that will build on the Bizerte Forum’s achievements, focusing on Africa’s contributions to global marine sustainability and addressing the specific challenges faced by African coastal and island nations.
These events are expected to lay the groundwork for a unified global approach at UNOC3 in 2025, where the future of not only the Mediterranean but the World’s oceans will be at stake. The Forum’s emphasis on collective responsibility, local innovation, and cross-regional cooperation sets the tone for what promises to be a decisive era for ocean governance.
BlueMissionMed is committed to maximizing engagement from a broad range of stakeholders, continuously striving to bring together experts, policymakers, and the public in meaningful dialogue. Events like the Forum Mondial de la Mer provide a unique platform to not only raise awareness but also to foster collaboration across the Mediterranean. These gatherings are invaluable opportunities for participants to contribute to the Mission of restoring and protecting our water ecosystems, making them essential for sharing knowledge, driving forward a collective effort, but also to build a strong, unified front to achieve the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.
