Responding to the French Government and the Tour du Valat’s invitation, the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet) has moved its Secretariat from Greece to the 60 year-old research center located in Camargue (Southern France) in spring 2014.
This change of location will facilitate the working relations between MedWet and the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory (MWO) established by the Tour du Valat in 2008, at the request of the MedWet Committee. It is planned that the MWO will continue its work on the analysis of the status and trends in Mediterranean wetlands, while MedWet will be responsible for transmitting the findings to decision-makers at the highest possible level in the 27 MedWet countries.
The new MedWet team based in the Tour du Valat: Sandra Maury, Nejib Bennessaiah, Maïlis Renaudin and Delmar Blasco
In addition, on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Tour du Valat in late June 2014, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with MedWet, aimaing at “formalising and reinforcing the links between the Tour du Valat and the MedWet Initiative, and establishing the general framework needed for the development of future collaborations”.
2014 is a transition year for MedWet, with the change of its Secretariat location and almost a complete change of its staff. The priorities of the new Secretariat for the 2015-2017 period are:
- To revitalize the capacity of MedWet to assist countries in the full implementation of the Ramsar Convention;
- To give a high priority to MedWet communications outreach;
- To renew and consolidate the MedWet partnerships with other actors in the Mediterranean and to establish new ones, in order to develop and implement significant regional and sub-regional projects.
The former Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, Delmar Blasco, has been hired as the new MedWet Coordinator, assisted by the former Coordinator, Nejib Bennessaiah, as Senior Advisor based in Athens. Ms Maïlis Renaudin has also been hired as Communications Officer, and Ms Sandra Maury as Executive Assistant in the new MedWet Secretariat.