The governance structure is designed in different levels to assure and assist with a continuous and regular regional dialogue around a common agenda on Blue Economy.

It is structured around three components and notably, the Blue Economy Working Group, the Stakeholder Conference/Event(s) and the Mediterranean Blue Economy Stakeholder Platform.

The  well-established UfM Blue Economy Working Group that meets once or twice per year. The UfM Secretariat is in charge of organising the meetings, including up to 2 participants per member country and a broad range of representatives of different stakeholders categories (Managing Authorities, International Financial Institutions, Academia, Local Authorities, etc). Regular communication among partners ensures an effective functioning of the partnership between agencies during the overall implementation of the project’s activities. The main tasks of the group are:

• Review the whole implementation of the Ministerial declaration;
• Inform the group about regional and national advancements;
• Exchange views and information
• Review the implementation process and make decisions on the necessary changes that could potentially emerge;
• Review main project expected results and outputs;
• Propose measures to strengthen linkages with other relevant national, regional and global initiatives.

Ministers from the 42 Union for the Mediterranean countries have agreed to intensify their efforts towards a sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean. Doing so, they want to ensure the sustainable development of the region around its main shared good – the Mediterranean Sea; promote the recovery of the region’s economies from the COVID-19 crisis; and address the environmental and climate challenges the region is facing.

The key areas of cooperation agreed by the 42 UfM countries are: governance and the future of sea basin strategies in the Mediterranean region; marine research and innovation, skills, careers and employment; sustainable food from the sea: fisheries and aquaculture; sustainable, climate-neutral and zero-pollution maritime transport and ports; marine litter; coastal and maritime tourism; Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Zone Management; marine renewable energies; maritime safety and security; sustainable investment​​.

Adopting a “complex-systems” approach meant mobilising all stakeholders in the elephant range around a common vision – the preservation of the Gourma elephants, a national and international heritage. This meant holding engagement workshops with each (government administration and technical services, tourism industry, schools, projects, programs and NGOs operating in the area) to understand their perspectives, and design impactful outreach materials and activities (including a schools program). It also meant engaging and coordinating the support of other institutions in-country (e.g. foreign embassies, MINUSMA, UNDP) to deliver.

At national level this has included working with government to draft an elephant management plan; create a mixed (forester-military) anti-poaching unit and engage expert anti-poaching trainers from Chengeta W.; and create a new protected area that covers the whole elephant migration route, using a biosphere reserve model. Multi-use zones are governed by local CBNRM conventions with foresters providing supplementary enforcement if required, thereby strengthening the community systems. This aligns government and community interests to mutually reinforce each other and provide a cost-effective approach to reserve management. This top-down approach complements the bottom-up approach of community engagement.

No species exists in a vacuum. A myriad interacting forces come into play to shape their fate, at levels that go far beyond their direct ecological environment. Recognising this means shifting the focus from the species alone to englobe the entire system (ecological, social, political, economic) in which they live. It also implies accepting the uncertainty that arises from these interactions “that simultaneously affect, and are shaped by, the wider system” (Canney, 2021). This means preconceived solutions have very little, if no, chance of truly succeeding.

Not knowing what to do forced the project to ask, observe and listen, letting the answer be shaped by the context. Over the years, it has meant understanding the social-ecological context to identify key intervention points where small inputs can have relatively large impacts, “planning for a greater degree of flexibility in responding to the unexpected, seizing opportunities, and adapting to changing circumstances” (idem), and working at different levels and with a variety of stakeholders to achieve objectives. While the initial focus was on elephants, this approach has in effect delivered multiple benefits and contributed to improving many problems at once, from ecosystem degradation to compromised livelihoods, youth unemployment, local governance and social conflict.

Conservation behaviors  are considered essential actions that tremendously influence ecosystems. Environmental behaviors are essential to ecological conservation and to environmental protection.It is important to involve the citizens in the domain of the conservation of the environment and biodiversity conservation. Our scientific studies revealed that the respondents reported a lower level of practices in the conservation of species. Solutions have been initiated, the most important of which is to educate the inhabitants to encourage them to conserve the species. Education sessions were carried out by the author and his collaborators during the two las decades with local inhabitants, students, associations and authorities. As part of their scientific research, they visited most of the villages. They discuss with people the ecological and economic roles of biodiversity and the importance of conserving it.