“Mediterranean: Advancing Concrete Action on Plastic Pollution, Climate, and the High Seas”
At the 24th COP of the Barcelona Convention, held from 2 to 5 December 2025 in Cairo, participants emphasized the urgent need for strengthened international commitment to safeguard the Mediterranean — a shared basin under severe pressure from plastic pollution and climate change. Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Special Envoy of the French President for the Poles and Maritime Issues, opened the session by congratulating Egypt for hosting this edition and recalling France’s efforts to place the Mediterranean at the center of global priorities, particularly since the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) held in June 2025 in Nice.
A major highlight of his address concerned the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, designed to protect nearly 50% of the planet’s surface. The Ambassador commended the twelve countries already engaged in the process and underlined the active role of Mediterranean states. He urged the remaining nine countries to sign and ratify the convention, stressing that only States Parties will be able to participate in the first official negotiations scheduled in New York in late 2026 or early 2027.
Plastic pollution — described throughout the conference as an “insidious scourge” — was the subject of strong criticism. Ambassador Poivre d’Arvor expressed disappointment with the recently adopted global agreement on plastics, calling it insufficient given the scale of the crisis. Plastic was referred to as “a silent poison” affecting marine organisms as well as human health, and he called for more ambitious and operational responses.
To advance progress on this issue, France will organize, in partnership with La Saison Bleue, a major working session during the 9th World Sea Forum in Bizerte, on 24–25 September 2026. This event will gather scientists, industry leaders, institutions and NGOs to define concrete and coordinated measures to reduce plastic flows into the Mediterranean.
Climate change also took center stage. The Ambassador reminded participants that the Mediterranean is one of the world’s most affected regions, with average temperature increases reaching 5.4°C. He strongly criticized the “very minimalistic” agreement adopted at COP 30 in Belém, emphasizing the need to intensify efforts to reduce emissions and protect marine and coastal ecosystems.
In conclusion, Ambassador Poivre d’Arvor called for a holistic commitment to Mediterranean biodiversity and announced that France intends to mobilize additional funding to support necessary actions. The conference reaffirmed the urgency of enhanced regional cooperation and concrete initiatives to preserve the Mediterranean Sea.
