On 22–23 April 2026, PAP/RAC participated in the final seminar of the PROTEUS project, held at Aix-Marseille University (MMSH and Aix-Schuman campuses) in Aix-en-Provence. The event brought together around 30 participants from academia, public authorities and international organisations, including representatives from the Région Sud, Aix-Marseille University, Plan Bleu/RAC and the Institute for International Legal Studies of the National Research Council of Italy, to discuss future-oriented approaches to Mediterranean coastal planning and marine protected areas.
During the seminar, Ante Ivčević (PAP/RAC) delivered a presentation on climate change adaptation and marine protected areas, highlighting PAP/RAC’s work on adaptation measures and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) coastal plans. The presentation focused primarily on the forthcoming article he co-authored with legal scholar Pascale Ricard and emphasised the role of nature-based solutions in strengthening coastal resilience across the Mediterranean. He also participated in a panel discussion alongside colleagues from Plan Bleu, focusing on stakeholder engagement in the development of climate-resilient coastal plans and strategies which PAP/RAC currently develops in Morocco, Montenegro and Lebanon. The discussion underlined the importance of participatory approaches and science–policy interfaces in ensuring effective and inclusive coastal governance.
The mission provided an opportunity to showcase key PAP/RAC initiatives, including the GEF MedProgramme Child Project 2.1 and the DesirMED project, as well as to present the role of PAP/RAC within the UNEP/MAP system. It also contributed to bridging legal, scientific and policy perspectives, particularly through the back-to-back seminar on marine protected areas in transboundary and contested seas, which offered valuable insights into the practical application of international law of the sea. Overall, the event reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and regional cooperation in addressing climate change and coastal risks in the Mediterranean.
