Following the signing of an important agreement between RAMOGE and the Pelagos Sanctuary in March, the two organisations have come together to host their first collaborative event on marine protections and projects at Sciences Po’s Middle East and Mediterranean campus in Menton.
On 15th October, the Communauté d’Agglomération de la Riviera Française (CARF) welcomed delegations from the RAMOGE Agreement and the Pelagos Sanctuary to the Sciences Po Middle East and Mediterranean campus in Menton.
RAMOGE was established in 1976 and seeks to promote tri-national cooperation between France, Italy, and Monaco regarding the protection of the nations’ coasts and marine environments. Pelagos, meanwhile, was founded in 2002 and focuses on the creation and management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean, particularly aimed at conserving marine mammals within a designated sanctuary shared by France, Italy, and Monaco.
The two organisations signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding during Monaco Ocean Week 2024 in March, which laid the foundations for increased collaboration between RAMOGE and Pelagos going forward. The recent event is a direct result of this agreement and highlighted the efforts of RAMOGE and Pelagos to reduce pollution and enhance marine protections in the region.
Among those who attended the event were representatives from municipalities aligned with the Pelagos Partnership Charter, managers from Marine Protected Areas and National Parks within the Pelagos Sanctuary, Pelagos Ambassadors, and high-level officials from RAMOGE.
During the day-long event, the secretariats of both organisations shared updates on their initiatives designed to reduce pollution and enhance marine protections in the region, followed by two roundtable discussions: one on local government actions and Marine Protected Areas, and the other on fostering relationships with sailors through the Pelagos Ambassadors programme. These sessions generated valuable insights, which will be refined and presented to decision-making bodies in the coming months.
The day concluded with the unveiling of a mural commissioned from Monegasque artist Anthony Alberti, better known as Mr One Teas. This mural was created in collaboration with Sciences Po students and other participants and symbolises a united front for the preservation of the Mediterranean.
Organisers are hopeful that this event will catalyse expanded joint actions, positioning the Pelagos and RAMOGE Agreements as pivotal players in future Mediterranean environmental efforts.
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Photo credit: Adrien Poquet