From 9 to 13 June 2025, INFO/RAC participated in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC2025) held in Nice.
On 10 June, the day dedicated to the Mediterranean Sea, a video celebrating the birth of the UNEP/MAP–Barcelona Convention was presented.
The video, produced by INFO/RAC, is a tribute to the contribution of UNEP/MAP, which over the years has been committed to turning decisions into action through the effective implementation of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols. This has been a key prerequisite for enabling a green transition in the Mediterranean and for tackling the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Complementing this, INFO/RAC also developed the initiative “Odyssey Reloaded,” a pan-Mediterranean digital campaign that celebrates 50 years of the Barcelona Convention through a constellation of events across the Mediterranean region.
The campaign fully embraces the call made in the COP 23 Ministerial Declaration of the Barcelona Convention: from decisions to action.
Odyssey Reloaded aims to disseminate all the initiatives planned by UNEP/MAP, Contracting Parties, MAP Partners, and other stakeholders across the Mediterranean.
On 11 June, INFO/RAC participated in the side event “Sharing Effective Lessons Learned and Case Studies in the Mediterranean Towards a Future-Ready Sea Basin: From the Regional to the Global Context“ organized by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), REMPEC – UNEP/MAP, INFO/RAC – UNEP/MAP, BlueMissionMed CSA, and the European Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP). The event highlighted the strategic role of the Mediterranean in advancing a sustainable and resilient ocean economy.
During the event, Ms. Lorenza Babbini, INFO/RAC director, presented an overview of data policy and data sharing within UNEP/MAP, cited as an example in the first draft of UNEP’s Global Environmental Data Strategy (GEDS).
Also on 11 June, INFO/RAC participated in the High-Level Event “25 Years of the Pelagos Agreement: Strengthening Cooperation for Marine Mammal Conservation.”
During her speech, Ms. Annalisa Minelli highlighted the strengths of the UNEP/MAP Knowledge Management Platform, emphasizing its capacity to share data, information, and knowledge in line with FAIR principles. She also underlined the platform’s flexibility in producing diverse outreach materials tailored to different target audiences.
Organized by the Pelagos Agreement, the event provided a unique opportunity to reflect on 25 years of cross-border cooperation and to discuss future strategies for enhancing marine conservation in a more robust and resilient manner.