Middle East and North Africa Regional Resources

Meeting on Environmental Governance in the Arab Region
High officials from the Ministries of Environment and the Environmental Enforcement Authorities in the Arab region, including Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, Yemen, Qatar and Saudi Arabia met in Amman, Jordan, on 9-10 May, along with observers from INECE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement in the Maghreb, the Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network for Accession, and the United Nations Environment Program to discuss and agree upon cooperation in the field of environmental governance in the Arab region.

The participants made a number of presentations about their respective enforcement programs, other regional enforcement networks, partnership opportunities, and discussed the benefits of creating an Arab Enforcement Network. See http://inece.org/mena/arabregion/.

Israel’s "Clean Coast" Program Successfully Tailors Solution to Marine Litter Problem
Marine litter is a growing environmental problem worldwide. All coastal countries suffer from the litter deposited upon their coastlines. Marine litter originates from two sources: sea-borne, from ships and fishing boats, and land-based, such as industrial waste and litter. A 2004-cleanup report in Israel discovered that over 60% of all debris collected during clean-up operations originated from recreational activities. Visit INECE Newsletter 14 for the full article.
By Alkalay Ronen, Pasternak Galia, and Zask Alon, Marine Pollution Prevention Inspectors; and Amir Ran, Director, Marine and Coastal Environment Division (MCED), Ministry of Environmental Protection, Israel.

INECE Announces the Launch of the Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement in the Maghreb (NECEMA)
On 20-21 February 2006, stakeholders from across the Maghreb region convened in Rabat, Morocco, to discuss the establishment of a regional network on environmental compliance and enforcement. Following intensive discussions on the network's vision, goals, and stucture, the Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement in the Maghreb (NECEMA) was created. Currently, Morocco will act as chair and Tunisia will provide the co-chair of the network. The Terms of Reference and Joint Statement are available online.

Enforcing Environmental Laws in the Maghreb Region: Country Assessment
The Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement in the Maghreb (NECEMA) organized an event on 30-31 October 2006 in Rabat, Morocco, that combined three important activities:

• a one day plenary Conference on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Country Assessment;
• a high-level morning session on the country assessment process; and
• a meeting of the NECEMA Regional Planning Committee.

Participants discussed countries’ current environmental compliance and enforcement programs, analyzed examples of international experience, and identified an initial set of best practices for country assessment. INECE's presentation at the conference, Le Processus d’Evaluation Pays: Methodologie & Expérience Internationale, is available online.

Moroccan Ministry of the Environment Hosts Conference on the Role of Local Municipalities in Enforcing Environmental Laws in Rabat, Morocco
On 20-21 February 2006, 100 participants from the Maghreb region and other parts of the world met in Rabat, Morocco, to share experiences and build capacity for the role of municipalities in enforcing environmental laws during the Conférence Maghrébine sur le rôle et les responsabilités des collectivités locales en matière de respect et d’application des lois environnementales. The Conference was hosted by the Moroccan Ministry of the Environment (Ministre chargé de l'Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Eau et de l'Environnement) and sponsored by GTZ.

The newly-formed Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement in the Maghreb (NECEMA) was announced during the Conference.

Conference materials, including the Conference Statement, presentations, images, and other documents, are available online.

INECE Delivers Presentation at Tunisian Environmental Law Conference
INECE presented remarks during the "Le droit de l’environnement, la bonne gouvernance et le développement durable – opportunités et perspectives" Conference, which was held on 13-14 December 2005 in Tunis, Tunisia. A copy of the presentation, "INECE : introduction et activités courantes" is available online.

Sucessful Conclusion of "US EPA Environmental Law Training" Courses in Jordan and Bahrain
The United States Environmental Protection Agency held Environmental Law Training courses in Amman, Jordan, on 8-11 May 2005 and in Manama, Bahrain, on 15-18 May 2005.

Photographs, news stories, and other information from the courses are available on the event is available at http://www.inece.org/mena/logistics.html.

Participants expressed interest in using INECE's Regional Discussion Board to share news and information.

INECE Regional Conference for the Middle East and North Africa
In conjunction with the Moroccan Ministry of Territory Planning, Water, and Environment, INECE hosted a Regional Conference for local and regional professionals on issues of particular relevance to Morocco, North Africa, and the Mediterranean region on 9 April 2005.

Over 65 participants enthusiastically engaged in strategic discussions on advancing the implementation of environmental compliance and enforcement in the region. The Regional Conference provided a unique opportunity for government-government and government-NGO collaboration.

Participants concluded that a regional enforcement network, affiliated with and supported by INECE, was an essential tool for promoting best practices and building capacity in the region. Participants agreed that the new network should capitalize on lessons learned from existing networks, including their goals and objectives.

The workshop was conducted in French with limited English translation.

INECE 7th Conference Concludes with Agreement to "Make Law Work for People, Environment, and Sustainable Development"
At INECE's 7th Conference, participants from more than 60 countries gathered to affirm the role of environmental compliance and enforcement in supporting the rule of law, strengthening good governance, and securing progress towards sustainable development. View the full text of the "Marrakech Statement" on the Conference Web site. Reports and recommendations from the panels and workshops, as well as pictures from the Conference and other information are also available.

2nd International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Advancing Implementation on Water and Energy
The purpose of the Forum, which is organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Territory Planning, Water and Environment (MATEE) in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA) is to advance sustainable development implementation by strengthening and fostering water and energy related partnerships.

INECE Selects Morocco as Site for its 7th International Conference in Spring 2005
INECE has begun planning for its 7th International Conference, which will be held in Morocco in Spring 2005. The Conference will feature a full program of panels, workshops, and field visits for the participants selected to attend this event. Regional network representatives will lead the nomination process for invitations. The Conference will give special attention to environmental compliance and enforcement indicators as a means to better measure and manage performance. Previous INECE conferences have successfully showcased emerging work in the field of international environmental enforcement, provided excellent opportunities for professionals to broaden their contact networks, and resulted in the development of enforcement and compliance resources, including the 2002 "Call to Action" and the "Principles of Environmental Enforcement."

Israel's Ministry of Environment announces 33% Increase in Green Police Investigations
The Green Police, the enforcement arm of the Israeli Ministry of the Environment, initiated 370 investigations against environmental offenders in 2003 - whether local authorities, corporations, companies or individuals – in comparison to 277 investigations files in 2002 and 182 files in 2001. According to Izhak Ben-David, Senior Deputy Director General for Law Enforcement in the Ministry of the Environment, this 33% rise in the number of investigations is a direct result of the ministry’s growing enforcement efforts against environmental offenders, an effort which will continue into 2004 as well. Files were opened against environmental offenders who violated a wide variety of laws including the Maintenance of Cleanliness Law, the Business Licensing Law, the Abatement of Nuisances Law, the Water Law, the Roads (Affixing of Signs) Law and Abatement of Nuisances Regulations on prevention of air pollution and odors from solid waste disposal sites.
From Israeli Ministry of the Environment Press Room

U.S. and Morocco Conclude Free Trade Agreement
The United States and Morocco reached agreement 2 March 2004 on a comprehensive and ground-breaking Free Trade Agreement (FTA) designed to strip away barriers and facilitate trade and investment between both countries. "It's a ground-breaking FTA that not only slashes tariffs, but sets a new high standard for the protection of intellectual property rights, opens markets for services, transparency and provides effective labor and environmental enforcement," said U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick.
From the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative