UNOC WORKSHOP Muğla – How can a new cultural interaction between land and sea contribute to enhance territorial resilience?
On 05 et 06 May 2025, the city of Muğla in Turkey will host a preparatory workshop for the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3). Placing culture and the land-sea interactions at the heart of strategies for territorial resilience, in response to climate and environmental risks in the Mediterranean.
The UNOC Muğla 2025 Workshop is a unique opportunity, bringing together experts, researchers and stakeholders from all over the Mediterranean, to co-produce public policy recommendations and identify priority projects for local action.
Key topics
- Safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage: how can cultural heritage conservation strategies be linked to risk management, post-disaster reconstruction, and the transmission of collective memory in the wake of destruction.
- Culture as a driving force for ecological transition and regional resilience: how can Mediterranean culture be mobilised to foster care for life, ecosystems and communities, guiding adaptation to climate challenges across our shared sea.
- Risk culture and memory, for disaster preparedness and recovery: how can we build a culture of risk awareness to better anticipate and respond to extreme weather events, not only through transparent data sharing, but also through collective narratives and memory transmission as keys to resilience.
Register to the workshop
Mediterranean citizens, regional planners, coastal risk management experts, local stakeholders, researchers, students in the fields of culture, heritage, science, planning or sustainable development, representatives of civil society, we invite you to take part in large numbers!
- When: 05 and 06 May 2025
- Where: Muğla, Turquie
- In-person or remote participation (we encourage you to attend the workshop in person for a successful co-production exercise).
- The workshop will be translated into 3 languages (French, English, Turkish)
Making our voice heard for the Mediterranean: towards the 2025 UNOC in Nice
Be part of a regional and international dynamic to influence the future of coastal zones and make the Mediterranean a pioneering region in addressing climate change risks.
The workshop will formulate concrete recommendations to deliver a joint message, “The Voice of the Mediterranean” at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice next June. This major international event will also mark the launch of the Ocean Rise & Coastal Resilience Coalition for Cities and Regions, initiated and chaired by Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, and Deputy President of the SUD – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region.
AVITEM is playing a crucial role in preparing the Mediterranean dimension of this coalition, coordinating a dynamic co-construction and exchange process involving a network of expert partners: Plan Bleu, the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC), the Institute for Research and Développement (IRD), the Intermediterranean Commission (CIM-CRPM), the four schools of architecture involved in the Mélimed project, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egyptian National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, the French Development Agency (AFD), MedCities, the Ocean & Climate Platform.
With the support of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Région Sud – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the Ville de Nice, the Municipality of Muğla and the Institut français in Turkey.
Speakers at the Nice workshop
Madeleine Cancemi is the Director of the Cap Corse and Agriate Marine Nature Park. At the intersection of scientific knowledge, local practices, and public policy, she is committed to fostering shared governance of the sea. Her work is guided by a thoughtful and sustainable vision for the Corsican coastline—where living heritage and a future to be safeguarded come together.
Fabrice Bernard, serves as the Europe and International Delegate at the Conservatoire du Littoral, where he coordinates Mediterranean cooperation in support of the most vulnerable coastal and shoreline areas. He also contributes to the development of the MedFund, an environmental trust fund dedicated to the long-term support of marine protected areas.
Aurore Asso is a municipal and metropolitan councillor, with delegated responsibility for the marine protected area, the sea, and ecology within the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis. An agronomist by training, she combines scientific expertise with political commitment in support of a living, resilient sea.
Mounir Bouchenaki, an Algerian archaeologist and historian, is a prominent figure in the preservation of global cultural heritage. Former Director of the World Heritage Centre at UNESCO and head of the UNESCO Regional Centre for World Heritage in the Arab Region, he is widely recognised for his steadfast commitment to safeguarding cultural sites during times of crisis.
Müjde Unustasi is Director of the Culture and Art Department at the Arkas Holding, which oversees six museums, including the Izmir Art Centre and the Maritime History Centre. A specialist in antique carpets and Islamic art, she is the guardian of the prestigious Arkas collection, which comprises thousands of invaluable artworks.
Selen Cambazoglu is Director of the Bodrum Maritime Museum, a conservatory of Turkish coastal heritage and memory. She is the initiator of the Blue Exile Art Project (BEAP), which brings together contemporary art and marine ecology to raise awareness of environmental issues and the protection of marine ecosystems—particularly Posidonia seagrass meadows—while also enriching the local cultural landscape.
Cécile Sabourault is Vice-President for International and European Development at Université Côte d’Azur, where she also leads the ECOSEAS laboratory, specialising in marine ecology. A biologist and professor, she champions an open, interdisciplinary science centred on the sea, in service of marine biodiversity and the broader challenges of life and the living world.
Vincent Giovannoni is an art anthropologist and Chief Curator at the Mucem in Marseille, where he heads the Performing Arts department. A former shipwright turned researcher, he leads a cultural mediation programme focused on Mediterranean issues and humanity’s relationship with the sea, highlighting the richness of popular arts from across the Mediterranean world.
Maud Le Floch, Director of the Polau – Art and Urbanism Hub, fosters collaborations between artists, urban planners, and local and development stakeholders to translate major contemporary transitions – energy, climate, territorial – into collective narratives that nourish a shared imagination.
Sébastien Quenot is the Head of the UNESCO Chair “Futures in the Mediterranean – Identities, Cultures, Heritage-Making Processes”. Senior lecturer (HDR) in educational sciences at the Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli, he also leads the research team “Identities, Cultures, Heritage-Making Processes” within the CNRS research unit UMR 6240 LISA. His work explores the evolving forms of identity across the Mediterranean region.
Gizem Akdoğan, Secretary General of Akdeniz Koruma Derneği, a marine conservation organisation that contributed to the creation of protected marine areas in Gökova and works on monitoring the endangered Mediterranean monk seals. She advocates for an innovative and participatory approach to marine conservation, involving local communities.
Bouzid Sabeg, General Director of the Conservatoire du Patrimoine Architectural Méditerranéen (CoPaM Med), an initiative aimed at promoting and enhancing Mediterranean heritage, particularly UNESCO World Heritage sites. A former Director of Heritage for the City of Arles, he has been involved in various cooperation projects focused on the preservation of Mediterranean heritage.
Galip Gür, Vice-President of the Association of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (APBBM), dedicated to the preservation of exceptional marine landscapes. The association includes 42 coastal communities committed to safeguarding marine ecosystems and promoting sustainable tourism. Representing the Bay of Bodrum, he advocates for a balanced management approach that combines responsible tourism development with environmental protection.
Murat Draman, a Turkish underwater photographer based in Kaş, documents Mediterranean ecosystems with the eye of both an artist and a naturalist. Specialising in invasive species, his photographs are featured in scientific journals and conservation reports.