International cooperation
Agreements, meetings, events and joint projects
Marevivo’s work on the national territory is closely linked to the collaboration with European and international actors and stakeholders. We believe environmental protection is a global issue that must be addressed with the commitment of all countries of the world.
We strengthen our international cooperation through agreements, meetings, events and joint
projects.
The water has finally become a priority of the G7 on climate.
From 9 to 13 June 2025, Nice hosted the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), bringing to the Mediterranean the voices of governments, scientists and environmental organisations to defend ocean health and strengthen global action for marine ecosystems. Marevivo took part to stress a key point: we can’t protect marine biodiversity if we don’t first invest in knowing it and cataloguing it.
On the eve of the Conference, the Foundation had already presented in Genoa — at the close of the international campaign “Only One: One Planet, One Ocean, One Health” aboard the Amerigo Vespucci — a proposal for an International Agreement on Biodiversity, which was also illustrated in a hearing at the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
In Nice, Marevivo reiterated its support for the ratification of the UN High Seas Biodiversity Treaty (BBNJ) and called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, stronger action against plastic pollution, and the creation of a sustainable ocean finance system.
As President Rosalba Giugni underlined, “we cannot protect what we do not know: research is the first form of protection.”
By taking part in the UN Conference in Nice, Marevivo confirmed its active role in international environmental diplomacy, working for a future in which knowledge of marine life becomes the pillar of every conservation policy.
Water and the Sea take centre stage at “Venice Climate Week”
During the Venice Climate Week (3–8 June 2025), Marevivo took part in the “Planet Aqua” panel held at Ocean Space in Venice, dedicated to water as a global common good. The event, conceived by journalist Riccardo Luna in collaboration with the Future Food Institute, featured Jeremy Rifkin, Marevivo President Rosalba Giugni, Vice President Ferdinando Boero, CNR researcher Valerio Rossi Albertini and Dr Antonio Ragusa.
The discussion focused on key ocean issues — climate change, acidification, overfishing and the threats posed by deep-sea mining — with a clear goal: bring the ocean back to the centre of the international political agenda. As Rosalba Giugni underlined, the challenge is to reconcile development and environmental protection by promoting a cultural shift grounded in scientific knowledge.
By joining Venice Climate Week, Marevivo reaffirmed its international commitment to ocean protection, reminding that without a healthy ocean there is no future for the planet.
Climate Pride: Marevivo takes to the streets for biodiversity
During COP16 on biodiversity, held in Rome at FAO from 25 to 27 February 2025, Marevivo joined the Climate Pride network, taking part in the public performance in Piazzale Ugo La Malfa. The aim was clear: push for a more ambitious political and financial commitment, aligned with international targets for nature protection.
On the eve of the Conference, the Foundation had already called on the Italian delegation to back scientific research on marine species, stressing that without knowledge there can be no protection.
At the end of the Conference, President Rosalba Giugni acknowledged some “small steps forward” — such as the goal of mobilising 200 billion dollars a year by 2030 for biodiversity — but reiterated that it is urgent to move from words to action and make sure resources are actually channelled to nature.
“Without biodiversity as we know it, both food security and global climate balance are at risk,” said
Women Economic Forum Italy 2024”: putting the ocean at the heart of climate justice
Marevivo took part in the second Italian edition of the Women Economic Forum, held at LUISS University in Rome, bringing the ocean perspective into global conversations on climate, equality and sustainability.
In the panel “Climate Justice: Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Action”, Marevivo highlighted the ocean’s crucial role for life on Earth — its key function as a climate regulator — and the growing pressures on marine ecosystems from plastics, chemicals, overfishing and climate change.
Through the international campaign “Only One – One Planet, One Ocean, One Health”, Marevivo stressed the urgency of aligning policies with concrete action: from Marine Protected Areas to sustainable resource management, with a strong call for transnational cooperation to close the gap between words and delivery.
Marevivo at 2024 ASviS Sustainable Development Festival
On May 16, 2024, Raffaella Giugni, Secretary General of Marevivo, showcased the international campaign “Only One: One Planet, One Ocean, One Health” at ASviS’s Sustainable Development Festival in Rome.The campaign features a traveling exhibition of informative panels on the three main pillars of ecological transition: energy transition, food transition, and circular economy. The event highlighted the urgent need for ecological transition and featured insightful presentations by key speakers like Prof. Sebastiano Maffettone and projects such as “The Garbage Patch State” by Cristina Finucci. Additionally, youth participation from the International Networking Association was notable, demonstrating their commitment to environmental action through collaboration with Marevivo in beach cleanup efforts.
The water has finally become a priority of the G7 on climate.
Marevivo showcased “Only One – One Planet, One Ocean, One Health” at the G7 in Venaria Reale, emphasizing water’s significance and launching the Water Coalition to address global water crises. G7 commitments include phasing out coal by 2035, reducing methane emissions by 75% by 2030, and ending plastic pollution by 2040. However, biodiversity preservation remains a concern. Marevivo’s VP proposed a G7 Green Deal for proactive action, emphasizing, “We cannot wait for others to take the first step, as while waiting for goal attainment, climate change continues unabated, triggering catastrophic consequences with severe economic and social repercussions.”
Marevivo goes to COP28
The 28th meeting of the contracting parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) will take place from November 30 to December 12, 2023, at Expo City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The main objectives of the United Nations Conference include combating climate change, protecting biodiversity, limiting emissions, achieving energy transition, and halting global warming. We hope that COP28 will uphold the goal of limiting the long-term global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as agreed in the Paris Agreement.
Marevivo goes to COP23
The 23rd Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP 23) will take place in December 2023 in Portoroz, Slovenia. The Convention’s main objectives are to: assess and control marine pollution; ensure sustainable management of natural marine and coastal resources; integrate the environment in social and economic development; protect the marine environment and coastal zones through prevention and reduction of pollution and, as far as possible, elimination of pollution, whether land- or sea- based; protect the natural and cultural heritage; strengthen solidarity among Mediterranean.
Marevivo takes part to the Interreg Euro-MED | Natural Heritage event in Slovenia
Marevivo will present its battles, achievements and ongoing actions to the event in Slovenia.
Marevivo signs the Only One petition
More than 380 million tons of plastic are produced each year. The petition signed in October 2023 has the goal of asking U.S. Leaders to support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act To meet the plastic crisis, the U.S. Congress officially reintroduced The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act in October 2023. The legislation has the power to comprehensively tackle plastics production, inspire copycat legislation at the state level, introduce millions of Americans to progressive, science-backed solutions, and move the U.S. toward a strong position in the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. It’s exactly the type of policy we need to center in this fight and Marevivo supports this action.
Marevivo is a Break Free From Plastic member
In August 2023 we became members of BFFP. #BreakFreeFromPlastic is the global movement working to build a future free from plastic pollution. More than 12,000 organisations and individuals worldwide have joined to demand cuts in single-use plastics and to support lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.
As members, we work together to deliver systemic change across the whole plastic value chain — from extraction to disposal — focusing on prevention rather than cure.
Marevivo signs the international petition of Patagonia to end bottom trawling
The purpose of the petition, signed in August 2023, is to call on EU national governments to put an end to bottom trawling, which is destroying our seafloors, undermining small-scale fisheries and worsening the climate crisis.
Bottom trawling is one of the most damaging practices humans inflict on the ocean: it tears up seabed ecosystems, drives overfishing and kills indiscriminately — from turtles to rays to sharks. It also has a major climate impact. Dragging heavy nets along the seafloor burns more fuel and produces up to four times more emissions than other types of fishing. It disturbs carbon-storing sediments and uproots marine plants and animals that absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
The ocean takes up about a quarter of all the CO₂ we emit, but bottom trawling is putting this vital service at risk. We have to protect the ocean so that it can go on protecting us.
Marevivo is a member of the Med Sea Alliance
The Med Sea Alliance is a movement created in 2020 to bring together NGOs and networks working to improve the health and productivity of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the first time such a diverse group of organisations has come together behind a shared strategy to tackle overfishing and destructive fishing in the Mediterranean.
Marevivo fully shares the Alliance’s mission to call on policymakers to build a truly sustainable fisheries system in the Mediterranean. In September 2023, we joined the call to action “End illegal bottom trawling in the Mediterranean”launched by the Alliance.
Marevivo partners UNEP/MAP at the Antalya Conference
As a partner of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)/ Mediterranean Action Plan(MAP) with the aim of collaborating and supporting the development of measures to protect the marine ecosystem and the implementation of the Barcelona Convention, Marevivo participated in the Antalya COP22, the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and of the Mediterranean Coastal Region. The summit ended in Turkey on 10 December 2021 after four intense days of negotiations. The 22 Parties discussed nineteen proposals for decisions on issues ranging from pollution, marine and coastal biodiversity, climate
change and sustainable development. One of the most significant results brought home is the approval of the decision to designate the entire Mediterranean as an area with controlled
emission of sulfur oxides.
Marevivo is global partner of the International Coastal Cleanup
A project of the Ocean Conservancy Association that involves more than 15 million people around the world with the aim of preventing waste from entering our oceans. Through the actions of cleaning beaches and coasts we collect data on the most frequently found waste and put them in a global database that contributes to the creation of local policies, national and international waste management and the reduction or elimination of the most common and hazardous waste, such as single-use plastics. Europe and Middle East Region Cleanup Coordinator Symposium – In October 2019 we were in Oslo to prioritize and coordinate common actions to tackle ocean pollution. The International Coastal Cleanup coordinators currently represent 27 countries, islands and networks across Europe and the Middle East. International cooperation makes us stronger in view of the development of a framework for the reduction of marine litter on a global scale.
Blue Manifesto: A plan of concrete actions for the Oceans
Marevivo is part of the 102 environmental associations from all over Europe that have signed the Blue Manifesto, a rescue plan that outlines concrete actions to be implemented by 2030 in order to reverse the trend of degradation and pollution of oceans and coasts. To be effective, change must be implemented both at sea and on land.
The main points of the Blue Manifesto include:
That at least 30% of the ocean is protected for most or all by 2030
The transition to a low impact fishery
To ensure a pollution-free ocean
Planning of human activities to support the restoration of marine ecosystems
Ocean Action! Environmental associations against pollution
NGOs took part in Ocean Week 2020, seven days of events, discussions and activities focused on
the protection of marine ecosystems and the threats that marine species and habitats face. In
Brussels, where the main event involving all environmental associations took place, Marevivo
presented its campaign #StopMicrofibre, to address the problem of microplastic pollution released
by fabrics during washing machines.
Read the pitch on microfibers
Download our microfibre infographic, winner of the international contest for the best infographic
that took place during the Ocean Action Conference.
Leggi il pitch sulle microfibre
Download our infographic on microfibres — winner of the international best-infographic contest held during the Ocean Action Conference.
Climate Leaders' Summit: Women Kicking It on Climate
On the occasion of the G7, the president of Marevivo Rosalba Giugni represented Italy at the
meeting "Women Kicking it on Climate" in Ottawa, which in 2018 brought together women
leaders in the battle against global warming. The event was organized by Canadian Environment
and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna.
Marevivo called for governments and international organizations to place the sea at the center of
concrete and urgent actions, ensuring human and economic resources for the maintenance of
good health of the seas. Among the proposals to mitigate the problem of plastic in the sea,
Marevivo presented its project to install waste collection systems directly at the mouth of the
rivers.
Marevivo ha chiesto che Governi e organizzazioni internazionali ponessero il mare al centro di azioni concrete e urgenti, assicurando risorse umane ed economiche per il mantenimento della buona salute dei mari. Tra le proposte per mitigare il problema della plastica nel mare, Marevivo ha presentato il suo progetto di installazione di sistemi di raccolta dei rifiuti direttamente alla foce dei fiumi.
