See Also: The website of Tunis International Center for Environmental Technologies National Office of Sanitation (ONAS)   PROGRAMS Several specific programs of environmental protection have been developed, including "La main bleue (Blue Hand)", "La Main verte (Green Hand)" and "La Main Jaune (Yellow Hand)". • The mission of the "Blue Hand" program is to protect the coast and water resources against the risks engendered by the activities based in the coastal regions. It includes, in particular, the prevention of oil pollution, the organization and promotion of beach cleaning, the encouragement of waste-water treatment and the installation, in coastal cities, of major systems for the control of waste problems. • The program of the "Green Hand" aims to preserve nature and promote green spaces in urban areas. It aims for a minimum of 10 sq. meters of green space per capita in urban environment. The National Program of Urban Parks (PNPU) comes within this framework and provides for the protection of periurban forests by transforming them into ecological areas for recreation and environmental education. This program includes the creation of 100 urban parks within ten years. The Ennahli, El Mourouj, and El Khalij Parks are already operational; work on 17 parks has started in 2000 and 12 other parks are under consideration. • The "Yellow hand" program is focused on desertification control. It aims to harmonize field interventions within the framework of existing sectoral strategies such as road improvement, water and soil conservation, dune stabilization, soil salinization control, reforestation and forest regeneration. It also provides for the reinforcement of such interventions through horizontal projects and attendant and support measures in accordance with the principles of the National Agenda 21 and the United Nations Convention on Desertification Control (CCD) This program is part of the national rural development strategy that takes into account the four principal - and irreversible-options of the long-term policy of the Tunisian government, namely: • the protection of natural resources; • the improvement of the quality of life in the least advantaged areas; • the development of agriculture; and • the participation of the population and civil society in development projects and the promotion of local development. COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL PARTNERS To carry out its environmental protection policy and attain its sustainable development objectives, Tunisia has benefited from the sustainable contribution of the cooperation it has initiated with multilateral organizations and fraternal and friendly countries within the framework of partnership. This active financial and technical cooperation of the Ministry of Environment and Land Use Planning has involved all spheres of Environment, namely the protection of natural resources and the improvement of the quality of life. At bilateral level, and thanks to this partnership model, several projects have been initiated notably with Germany, but also with Sweden, Spain, the Principality of Monaco, Luxemburg, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Japan. Within this framework, two countries, Sweden and the Netherlands, have agreed, since 1992, to recycle the Tunisian debt into projects aimed at protection the Environment, thereby giving concrete expression to the recommendations of the Rio Conference. At multilateral level, Tunisia cooperates with the European Union (the European Investment Bank), the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Tunisia also receives project financing within the framework of the World Environment Fund and METAP. Moreover, Tunisia plays an active part within the League of Arab States and the Arab Maghreb Union, and with Mediterranean countries in accordance with the Barcelona Convention and the Mediterranean Action Plan (PAM). Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (CMDD) The principle of establishing a CMDD within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan (PAM) governed by the Barcelona Convention (1976) was adopted in November 1994 at the ministerial conference on sustainable development in the Mediterranean held in Tunis. The Agenda MED 21 (Mediterranean reading of the Rio Agenda 21) was also adopted at that conference. In 1995, the CMDD was established as an advisory authority and a consultation forum at Mediterranean level, on the pattern of the United Nations CSD. It differs from the latter by the equal status of all its members who are the representatives of the economic sector, the parliaments and civil society in member countries. The CMDD program of activities was launched the same year in Rabat. As of November 2000, the 36 members of the CMDD will have been distributed as follows: Countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, the European Community, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey; NGOs : WWF, ENDA Maghreb, MED-wet, MED-forum, MED-Coast; Socio-economic Groups : AIFM, IMED, AMANCE, EOAEN, Patruna Tunisia in Egypt. Local Authorities: MED-cities, IFOCC/ULAI-Israel, Municipality of Calvia (Spain), Municipality of Tripoli (Libya), Municipality of Naples (Italy). The CMDD Executive Committee is currently chaired by Tunisia and comprised of 7 members: 4 countries : Tunisia, Malta, Monaco, and Turkey; 3 representatives of civil society and NGOs: City of Rome, the WWF, and the Grouping of Chambers of Commerce for the Development of the Greek Islands (EOAEN). The main purposes of the CMDD are : • to provide the Mediterranean countries with appropriate advice for the implementation of the Agenda MED 21; • to identify and assess socio-economic and environmental problems in the spirit of the Agenda MED 21. • to monitor the implementation of the proposals made to the contracting parties; and • to promote cooperation and exchange of information on sustainable development in the Mediterranean basin. Recommendations and action proposals are formulated by working groups within the CMDD, particularly as regards the following themes: 1 - water demand management; 2 - integrated development of coastal areas; 3 - indicators for sustainable development; 4 - tourism and sustainable development; 5 - information, public awareness, environmental education and participation; 6 - industry and sustainable development; 7 - urban development management; 8 - free-trade and sustainable development; 9 - sustainable rural development. Fifth meeting of the CMDD : 1-3 July 1999 in Rome. Sixth meeting: 14-17 November 2000 in Tunis. Setting up in December 2004 of the National Designated Authority -The setting up in December 2004 of the National Designated Authority (AND) whose role is to monitor the conformity of projects proposed within the framework of the Mechanism for a clean development (MDP) to the national criteria of sustainable development . In order to improve Tunisia's positioning on the world carbon market, the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, has carried out relentless efforts since the implementation of the Kyoto protocol, to make better known at the international scale, the national investment opportunities provided by MDP projects. -Thus an agreement with the World Bank, is being finalized with the aim of funding 3 MDP projects in Tunisia: A project for capturing methanol gas in the controlled refuse collection center in the greater Tunis area, which will make possible to avoid the waste of the equivalent of 4,7 million tons of Co2 over a ten year period , from 2006 to 2015 A similar project for the whole Tunisian territory, to avoid the waste of 4,9 million tons of Co2 over a 10 year period from 2007 to 2015 A project involving the reduction of nitrate oxide emissions (N20) by the Tunisian Chemical Group. This project will avoid the spread of 1,8 million tons of Co2 over the period 2006-2015. 2005 national year for the fight against plastic refuse Following President Ben Ali 's initiative to set up a technical commission made up of different partners with the aim of : Setting up an action plan to fight against plastic refuse pollution Providing more efficiency to the interventions, so as to achieve the set objectives The elaboration of studies and scientific analyses Some numbers: The rate of use of glass water bottle in comparison with plastic bottles has moved from 30% at the end of the 90's to 10% currently The number of plastic bottles has reached 700 million bottles a year. Almost all the bottles used in major retail shops are made of plastic Plastic used in the agricultural sector (green houses) has reached 8 million tons per year. Presidential decisions: In partnership with NGO's on March 14, 2005 the Ministry of the environment and sustainable development has decided to : Organize sensitization campaigns to alert citizens against plastic pollution The distribution of traditional bags(in replacement of plastic bags) in weekly markets Forbidding import, manufacturing and distribution of plastic bags which are not in conformity with Tunisian norms (22.44-22.45) Setting up of a system of reward for collected plastic refuse, consisting of 150 dinars for each ton of plastic collected Replacing plastic bags by paper bags Encouraging the use by mineral water and gassy beverages manufacturers of glass bottles Forbidding the use of plastic mineral water or gassy beverages in quality restaurants and hotels Launch of a pilot operation consisting in encouraging citizens in returning plastic bottles in specially designated areas Setting up of a system dubbed "CHEB", an acronym for the network of friends of the environment Setting up of special containers in cities to encourage the spontaneous collection of plastic refuse Setting up of specialized commission under the aegis of the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable development, in order to ensue the follow up of these measures.