By Abbas Nazil
Egypt is stepping up preparations to host the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP24), a pivotal international forum dedicated to protecting the Mediterranean’s marine and coastal environment.
Scheduled for December 2 to 5, 2025, in Cairo, the event will see Egypt assume the presidency of the Barcelona Convention for a two-year term, positioning the country as a regional leader in coastal and marine conservation.
The Barcelona Convention, formally known as the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean, brings together 22 nations to coordinate action on pollution, biodiversity loss, and the climate-related pressures threatening one of the world’s most fragile marine ecosystems.
Egypt’s Local Development and Acting Environment Minister, Manal Awad, chaired the 22nd meeting of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to accelerate preparations for COP24.
The meeting focused on strengthening the EPF’s role in environmental protection while ensuring technical and logistical readiness for the conference.
Key discussions included contributions to the Industrial Pollution Control Program and the National Solid Waste Management Program, which are central to reducing industrial emissions, improving waste handling, and easing pressure on Egypt’s coastal ecosystems.
Awad emphasized that COP24 will not only showcase Egypt’s environmental commitments but also provide an opportunity to shape regional cooperation on safeguarding marine and coastal resources in the face of growing threats.
She directed the ministry to prepare a comprehensive media strategy to promote the conference’s objectives and to form a dedicated logistics and finance committee to coordinate responsibilities across ministries and agencies.
Senior figures present at the meeting included Ali Abou Sena, CEO of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, and Iman Atef, head of the environmental quality sector, alongside representatives from the ministries of finance, interior, international cooperation, and planning.
This reflects the whole-of-government approach Egypt is taking to environmental governance.
Awad also announced the formation of a committee to review and update the EPF bylaw to streamline fund allocation and increase transparency in financing environmental projects.
She stressed the importance of quarterly EPF board meetings to provide updates on environmental spending and ensure accountability in project delivery.
For Egypt, hosting COP24 comes at a time when Mediterranean ecosystems face immense stress from pollution, overfishing, urban expansion, and climate change-driven sea-level rise.
By assuming the convention’s presidency, Egypt aims to lead regional efforts to mitigate these threats, protect biodiversity, and push for sustainable coastal management practices.
Awad’s message underscored Egypt’s vision of integrating environmental protection with sustainable development goals.
She highlighted the country’s ambition to demonstrate leadership not only in policy but in concrete actions that protect fragile marine ecosystems for future generations.
With COP24 bringing together representatives from 22 Mediterranean states, the conference is expected to serve as a platform for advancing collective action on shared environmental challenges.
