From the 28^th November to the 01^st December, MedCities organised, in the frame of A’SIMA Tunis project, funded by the Delegation of the European Union in Tunisia, a study visit to the metropolis of Barcelona on Solid Waste Management. The mission addressed political and technical representatives of the Municipality of Tunis as part of the project objective to improve management capacities.

Given the interest of Libyan municipalities on improving Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) and the GIZ Libya programme priority to support them in the creation of municipal waste departments, MedCities invited Libyan municipalities to join the mission and profit from the exchanges. The study visit was attended by political and technical representatives of the Libyan cities of Janzour, Tripoli Centre, Ghadames and Benghazi, accompanied by GiZ Libya and the Libyan Ministry of Local Affairs and Governance.

During the three days of the mission, they had the opportunity to become acquainted with the municipal and metropolitan strategies and policies to improve waste management, from collection to treatment and recovery. Apart from discussing waste collection, they visited green points placed at the neighbourhood level in the Municipality of Barcelona and at the city level in the Municipality of El Prat, they visited a composting plant as well as a mechanical biological treatment facility managed by the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. Also, they discussed thoroughly tools and strategies for financing SWM policies. The mission was an opportunity to engage in fruitful exchanges with the Municipality of Tunis, a member of MedCities.

Finally, on the 1^st December MedCities General Secretary and Director presented the work of the network and discussed with the Libyan municipalities further opportunities for cooperation, through membership. As a result of this exchange, GiZ Libya and MedCities will continue exchanges to identify opportunities for the integration of Libyan municipalities in the work of the network.