Mediterranean Regional Workshop on Target 3

Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Biodiversity Conservation in the Mediterranean
Montpellier, France — 2 to 5 June 2025

From 2 to 5 June 2025, the Mediterranean Regional Workshop on Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) brought together biodiversity focal points and protected area authorities from eight Mediterranean countries – Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, France, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Spain, and Tunisia – alongside key international and regional organizations.

The event, hosted by the French government and organized by the Secretariat of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC N&P), UNEP/MAP, SPA/RAC, Plan Bleu, IUCN-Med, and the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB), aimed to strengthen regional cooperation and accelerate progress toward achieving the global Target 3: protecting and conserving 30% of land and sea areas by 2030.

Key Themes and Discussions

Over four days, participants engaged in collaborative sessions, technical exchanges, and peer learning formats focused on:

• The 30×30 Solutions Toolkit, the Matchmaking Platform, and the Rapid Deployment Mechanism – a small-grants tool developed by the HAC N&P Secretariat;
• Definitions and identification of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in the Mediterranean (notably through Fisheries Restricted Areas), national initiatives, and guidance under development by SPA/RAC, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, and IUCN-Med;
• Tools and mechanisms to improve governance and management, including the IUCN Green List, Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET), enhanced protection levels, and sustainable finance mechanisms such as those supported by The MedFund;
• Reporting and monitoring progress through the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) managed by UNEP-WCMC.

An interactive session also enabled regional and global organizations to showcase tools and offers of support, and to exchange directly with countries on their technical and financial needs.

NatureXpairs’ Contribution and Engagement of French Stakeholders

NatureXpairs contributed to the workshop by supporting the design and facilitation of key working sessions that helped:

• Identify ten shared challenges for the Mediterranean region;
• Prioritize capacity-building needs;
• And map opportunities for bilateral and regional cooperation among countries and partner institutions.

As facilitator of the HAC N&P France Working Group, NatureXpairs also supported the participation of French actors in the World Café session, where institutions could present their expertise and cooperation tools to the participating countries.
During this session, ARB Occitanie, member of the HAC N&P France Working Group, presented technical assistance offers supporting the effective and equitable management of protected areas, and the creation of a network of protected areas stakeholders at the sub-national level, helping match concrete national needs with existing French expertise.

In parallel, NatureXpairs co-organized with OFB a field visit to the Réserve Naturelle Régionale du Scamandre, offering a real-world example of protected area management that integrates nature-based solutions, ecosystem services, and community engagement.

Key Recommendations from the Mediterranean Communiqué

The workshop concluded with the release of a regional communiqué, highlighting common priorities and recommended actions to strengthen cooperation and accelerate implementation of Target 3 in the Mediterranean. Among the 16 key priorities identified:

• Strengthen political will, inter-ministerial coordination, and policy coherence;
• Expand and improve protected and conserved area networks, especially in underrepresented subregions;
• Recognize and report OECMs, and develop ecological corridors aligned with international guidance;
• Update national strategies and action plans, with robust monitoring frameworks aligned to GBF and regional strategies;
• Improve governance inclusivity, enforcement mechanisms, and integration with local realities;
• Ensure financial sustainability through diverse mechanisms (trust funds, carbon credits, etc.);
• Promote capacity-building, data sharing, and communication on the value of protected areas;
• Support conservation beyond MPAs, including through tools like SPAMIs, PSSAs, FRAs and OECMs;
• Enhance the contribution of protected and conserved areas to the SDGs, climate objectives, and the blue/green economy.

Read the full communiqué here: https://bit.ly/45hn1XF