Side Event Proposal Form

23rd Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols
(Portoroz, Slovenia, 5-8 December 2023)

Please fill the following form if interested in organizing a side event during COP 23. Due to limited space and
time, preference will be given to those requests co-organized by various actors.

Hereby the basic requirements to be considered:

 The lead organizer of the event acts as the focal point for any communication related to the event with
the UNEP/MAP Secretariat.
 Any request to revise the title, description, speakers or allocated time slots can only be received by the
lead organizer. No changes will be accepted after 17 November 2023.
 Most side events will be planned during the lunch break. Some side events will take place in the
evening, after the closure of the COP plenary session.
 The allocated date and time of any side event could be subject to changes. Every effort will be made to
alert organizers as soon as possible.
 No interpretation service will be provided for any side event. Side event organizers are responsible for
arranging their own interpreters in case it is needed.
 No catering service will be provided for side events. Side event organizers are responsible for
arranging their own catering service. In line with the sustainability policy, single-use plastic in food
and beverage packages is not allowed.
 Side event organizers are encouraged to limit the number of printed materials brought to the event to
the bare minimum and disseminate all materials in electronic format. The MAP Secretariat will
consider the sustainability of each side event along with the following “traffic light” criteria ( Green:
electronic dissemination only; Orange: limited number of printed materials combined with electronic
dissemination; Red: numerous leftover printed material).
 The inclusion of the gender perspective as well as aspects pertaining to youth and vulnerable groups
will be an asset.

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 ORGANIZER

Name of requesting organization: Ministry of Environement – Tunisia/ EcoPact-Lake Bizerte Program

Contact Person: Jihene Ghodhban

Address: N°90 bis, rue de Syrie, Bizerte, 7080

Telephone: 00216 58 539 848

E-mail: jiheneghodbane83@gmail.com

IS THIS EVENT CO-ORGANISED WITH ANOTHER ORGANISATION? IF SO, PLEASE LIST

HERE THE ORGANISATION(S) NAME AND CONTACT PERSON(S).

YES
“Water and Environment Support” WES: M.Michael Schoullos

TITLE OF THE PROPOSED SIDE EVENT

Unite locally, act nationally: EcoPact implements national plans for a sustainable environment in Bizerte-
Tunisia

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SIDE EVENT

1- Recall EcoPact’s History since the first reflections, the feasibility studies, then its launchment and the
ongoing actions by establishing the link between the national strategic guidelines and their variations at
the programme (projets) level.
2- Presentation of the main EcoPact’s results study for «the vulnerability risk assessment of the Bizerte-
Ichkeul lagoon complex in the face of climate change» which is in line with the COP sub-theme on
“Climate Change Adaptation: From National to Regional and Local Plans and Programs”.

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 3- Synergies between EcoPact and WES program

PROPOSED FORMAT OF THE SIDE EVENT

(Is it an interactive panel discussion, keynote followed by debate, a series of presentations, etc.?)

Interactive panel discussion

Video projection

DOES THIS SIDE EVENT ADDRESS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING KEY AREAS?
(provide brief explanation)

1. Marine Protected Areas and Biodiversity

2. Climate Change
3. Pollution, including Marine litter
4. Blue Economy
5. Other (please specify):____________

The main axis of the COP is based on the message “Moving from plans and programs to concrete actions”. The
implementation of the Ecopact program constitutes in itself an important illustration of such a variation. This is
how the Program proposes the organization of a side event during this COP.
EcoPact deals with many axis such us pollution ( solid waste, atmospheric , special , industrial,..), Coastal
management , sewerage, climate change , biologic agriculture , blue and green economy, …
Its activities have been designed and being carried out within the framework of a participatory approach which
involves the participation of all actors in relation from the local to the national level. An important sustainable
development charter was prepared since the designing of the program with the support of Horizon 2020 – CB
program.

EXPECTED SPEAKERS / RESOURCE PERSONS:

Leila Chikhaoui Mahdaoui: Ministre of environement – Tunisia

Dhekra GHARBI : Head of EcoPact Unit : historic of EcoPact and description of the investment component of
EcoPact
Michael Schoullos: President of WES Program : sustainable developpement of lake Bizerte charter
Jihene Ghodhbane: In charge of communication departement -EcoPact Unit : local involvement in the
development of the strategic plan for the lake region

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 Roland Dudek: Head of the EcoPact Technical Assistance team: Results of the Climate Change study – Lake
Bizerte
Michael Schoullos : synergies between EcoPact and WES

PREFERRED DATES (please indicate more than one option)

Preferred option:
Date
First Second Third

Dec 5
Dec 6 *
Dec 7 *
Dec 8 *
No preferences

INDICATIVE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

20-50 persons *
50-100 persons
>100 participants

INDICATIVE DURATION (please note that duration may have to be limited to 45 minutes, depending on
the number of applications received)

45 mn

EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

The following will be provided:

Projector for PowerPoint
Laptop
Audio system
Microphones at the podium
Roaming Microphones for the audience
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Please indicate any additional equipment and services you may use (at your own expenses):

Catering
Interpretation service

CATERING (please, indicate whether you are providing catering during the side event)

YES *

NO