the Priority Actions Programme (PAP), implemented by the Regional Activity Centre (RAC) in Split, Croatia, is part of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Although PAP acts as one of the MAP Centres since 1978, it is a national institution with the budget and mandate to carry out a certain number of MAP activities in coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea. PAP is an action-oriented organization aimed at carrying out practical activities which are expected to yield immediate results contributing to the protection and enhancement of the Mediterranean environment, and to the strengthening of national and local capacities for integrated coastal zone management. PAP cooperates with a large number of organizations in the UN system (UNEP, FAO, IMO, UNESCO, IOC, WHO, IAEA, WTO, UNDP), financial institutions (World Bank, European Investment Bank), other international organizations (European Union, Council of Europe, IUCN, etc.), as well as international institutions and consultancy companies.