On 25 November 2025, a national capacity-building workshop on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) was held in Tunisia, jointly organized by the Agency for Coastal Protection and Development (APAL) and the PAP/RAC (UNEP/MAP). This initiative is part of a broader regional momentum promoting the sustainable management of marine and coastal areas in the Mediterranean, in line with Tunisia’s national priorities and commitments under the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM Protocol).
The workshop brought together 45 participants from national institutions, technical bodies, the scientific community and key stakeholders involved in sea uses and ecosystem protection. Through presentations and discussions, the event strengthened participants’ understanding of the principles, tools and key steps of MSP, as well as its linkages with ICZM and sectoral policies.
The programme combined technical sessions on MSP core concepts, methodological approaches, governance and biodiversity, with an “MSP in Action” segment showcasing several Mediterranean experiences (Tunisia, Italy, Spain, Türkiye and France). An interactive exercise, the “MSP Challenge Game”, provided a practical illustration of the complexity of trade-offs between economic activities, environmental pressures and conservation objectives.
The workshop also helped identify avenues to support the next steps of the process in Tunisia, particularly regarding data availability, institutional coordination and stakeholder participation. APAL and PAP/RAC reaffirmed their commitment to continue their cooperation in order to support Tunisia in developing a coherent maritime planning framework aligned with regional and international frameworks.
