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48 / THE OCEAN : BIODIVERSITY WHICH WE MUST PROTECT

Xavier Sticker
French ambassador for the environment

Of course, beyond these innovations, M2PA has a lot
to learn from its discussions with other environmental
funds, including some with several decades of expe-
rience. This year, during Monaco Ocean Week (MOW),
we organised workshops with the Conservation Fi-
nance Alliance network with environmental funds in
Africa (Bacomab), Central America (Meso-American
Reef Fund) and Europe (Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust),
as well as development agencies and major NGOs
such as Conservation International.

When M2PA was created in 2013, what was its
goal? How has it changed?
M2PA was the brainchild of France, Monaco, Tunisia
and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, who
combined forces to create an international collabo-
ration platform in 2015 for sustainable funding of the
Mediterranean MPAs. Launched as a Monegasque
What makes the Environmental Funds association, the initiative was joined by other Medi-
for Mediterranean MPAs different? terranean countries, but also regional organisations
Worldwide, over seventy environmental funds contri- and non-governmental organisations. After Moroc-
bute to fund protected natural areas on land or at sea. co and Albania, the most recent member is Spain,
M2PA is the first initiative of this kind in the Mediter- which joined in April 2018 during the second edition
ranean. of MOW.

One of its special features is that it is a regional initia- In basic terms, since its launch, M2PA has made
tive, at a Mediterranean level. Ministers from coastal progress on its roadmap: organising as an initiative,
States are providing their political support, as de- refining the definition of its working methods, mo-
monstrated recently at the Conference of the Parties bilising resources with public and private donors,
to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the and developing pilot projects supporting MPAs. We
Mediterranean. have already seen the initial results. In early 2018, the
Global Environment Funds (GEF) demonstrated its
“Protecting our planet is tomorrow’s great confidence by donating one million dollars and the
challenge, and M2PA will do its part to help.” French Funds for the Global Environment (FFEM) do-
nated one and a half million euros. This funding is
in addition to the initial contribution of five hundred
Another special feature of M2PA is long-term invest- thousand euros by Monaco and private funding. And
ment in Marine Protected Areas (MPA) funding through for over a year, M2PA has supported the Al Hoceima
a partnership with MPA managers, government and national park in Morocco, and the Kuriat islands ma-
civil society. This involves supporting recurring ex- rine area in Tunisia. The impact of improved quality of
penses such as patrolling, monitoring the health of management of MPAs can already be measured, as
ecosystems. These additional resources allow often seen by the return of marine birds and the increase in
underfunded MPAs to be effectively managed. fishing resources around the Al Hoceima park.