The general director of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has today inaugurated the new UNESCO-abertis foundation centre for the Biosphere Reserves of the Mediterranean Ecosystems, located at the headquarters of the abertis foundation, Castellet Castle. This designation, which was ratified today with the signing of the accord between UNESCO and the Kingdom of Spain, was announced last November at UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris, and represents the first public-private partnership developed in this sphere.
Irina Bokova was accompanied by the president of abertis and the abertis foundation, Salvador Alemany; the Interior minister of the Government of Spain, Jorge Fernández Díaz; the Spanish Government's Secretary of State for the Environment, Federico Ramos de Armas; and the secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and the Environment of the Generalitat (regional government) of Catalonia, Josep Maria Pelegrí. Also present were the trustees of the abertis foundation, Miquel Roca and Josep Manuel Basáñez; the director of the Autonomous National Parks Agency, Basilio Rada; Spain's ambassador to UNESCO, Juan Manuel de Barandica; and the distinguished doctor and academic advisor of the abertis foundation, Martí Boada.
The centre will carry out an in-depth study of the Mediterranean region, given that Castellet Castle is situated in an unique location, with a rich biodiversity, and the centre holds the ISO 14:001 certification, which guarantees a correct environmental management, minimizing its impact on the area.
The planned program of activities in Castellet is centred on the creation of a documentary archive on sustainability in natural environments, together with the environmental services of the Biosphere Reserves and networked sustainability indicators.
A database will also be set up in the framework of North-South cooperation, based on the compilation of publications on international cooperation relating to the Biosphere Reserves and National Parks of the Mediterranean region. Likewise, seminars, conferences, educational programs, excursions and educational walks will be organized.
Comments