INFO/RAC
A single expanse of water, land, and life that needs to be protected, to be used as a bridge for dialogue and peace toward development. Today, the Mediterranean has a voice, and that voice is “INFO/RAC”, the Regional Activity Centre for Information and Communication of the Barcelona Convention.
Since 2005, Italy has hosted the Information and Communication Centre (INFO/RAC) of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Centre was established in 2005 by decision of the 14th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and, since 2010, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) has been entrusted with ensuring its management and operation.
The Centre plays a central role in promoting environmental issues, raising awareness among Mediterranean citizens, and fostering a general understanding of the role of UNEP/MAP, the Barcelona Convention, and its environmental policies aimed at sustainable development. These activities are carried out with the contribution of the Convention’s Member States, including Italy, which has always played a key role in the Mediterranean context.
INFO/RAC, operating within the DG-SINA Service, is responsible for developing a shared information management infrastructure to facilitate and support information, communication, training, knowledge dissemination, networking, and assistance activities across the entire MAP system.
Its mission is to help collect and share information, increase public awareness and participation, and improve decision-making processes at regional, national, and local levels, while also providing appropriate information and communication services and the necessary technological infrastructure to the Contracting Parties.
To ensure the availability and sharing of consistent and scientifically sound environmental knowledge, INFO/RAC maintains close collaboration with other major environmental institutions and international organizations (such as EEA, GFCM, ACCOBAMS, UNEP, etc.), which are leaders in environmental data and information management.