The IUCN's Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation protected areas programme follows 4 action lines developed at the Mediterranean Conference on Protected Areas (Murcia-2003) by the Mediterranean members of the World Commission on Protected Areas, organisations and experts in protected areas from the basin.

These action lines are:

Environmental Connectivity
Ecological links are required to fulfil the flora and fauna life cycles and sustain both peoples and communities. The link concept integrates five essential dimensions of ecological, economic, social as well as cultural and political type. More

Governance
A method used to describe governance of protected areas is the study of the degree of collaboration between the government and the parties involved in the management and responsibility assignment processes. More

Training
The challenge of training is the capacity to ensure the effective management of protected areas while confronting those of global change. More

Funding
Appropriate funding is essential for efficient management. More

After the World Park Congress in Durban (September-2003) and the World Conservation Congress in Bangkok (November-2004), the programme is developing the following areas of work:

The main objective of the centre is:

This objective leads us to work in activities about local development and the conservation of protected areas in accordance with international conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the section on protected areas. We also collaborate with members and organisations from the Mediterranean basin.

For further information, please contact Andres Alcantara.