The Wexford Declaration

In Recognition of the EU ICZM Recommendation and in the context of the principle of subsidiarity, governments are urged to support the empowerment of local communities, including local government, to secure local sustainability of the coastal and marine environment.

To achieve this, priority actions include measures to:

  1. Engage local communities in the formulation of coastal policy and in the adoption of responsible local management practices.
  2. Secure government support for the development and implementation of ICZM programme's, including national programme's, which promote local actions and the provision of guidelines for local authorities.
  3. Raise public awareness, respect and understanding of the coastal environment, including its natural, historic, cultural and socio-economic character, and related issues.
  4. Share experiences of and promote best practice in implementing local community-based management initiatives.
  5. Facilitate communication and collaborative working between coastal stakeholders in recognition of the environmental, socio-economic and cultural benefits of integrated management.
  6. Support and promote coastal networks in achieving ICZM at all level
Agreed by CoCoNet and CZMNet project participants, Wexford, 22nd June 2004