OceanExpert ID : 18488
Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
PERSGA / EMARSGA
(Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden)
P.O. Box 53662
Jeddah
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
21583
Egypt
Type
International / Intergovernmental
Telephone
+966 12 657 32 24
Fax
+966 12 652 19 01
Activities
PERSGA, the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, is an intergovernmental body dedicated to the conservation of the coastal and marine environments found in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Suez, Suez Canal, and Gulf of Aden surrounding the Socotra Archipelago and nearby waters. PERSGA’s member states include: Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
PERSGA’s legal basis stems from Article XVI of the Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, known as the Jeddah Convention, signed in 1982: “A Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment, the permanent headquarters of which shall be located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is hereby established". It was not until September 1995, however, with the signing of the Cairo Declaration during the First Council Meeting in Egypt, that PERSGA’s creation was formally announced. Falling under the umbrella of the Arab League, PERSGA has since become recognized as one of the leading marine conservation organizations operating in the Red Sea region.
The development of PERSGA’s Strategic Action Plan in 1997 provides the operational mandates governing PERSGA’s conservation activities and programmes. Taking a step-by-step approach, the SAP was prepared on the premise that it would be implemented in phases, each with its own set of particular priorities and areas of focus. The first Phase of the SAP was implemented during 1999-2005 with the support of GEF. As of 2006, PERSGA has been conducting its work under SAP Phase 2, which concentrates primarily on sustainable development and institutional strengthening.
PERSGA mission to perform the functions necessary for the implementation of the Jeddah Convention on a sustained and cost-effective basis, aiming at rational use of living and non-living marine and coastal resources in a manner ensuring optimum benefit for the present generation while maintaining the potential of that environment to satisfy the needs and aspirations of future generations.
