The “Prevention, Preparedness and Response to natural and man-made Disasters” (PPRD) Mediterranean programme was launched today in Rome, only a few weeks after fatal floods claimed more than a dozen lives, displaced over 20,000 people, and caused extensive damage to thousands of homes and acres of cropland in the Emilia-Romagna region. The programme aims to increase the resilience to natural and man-made disasters in the Southern Neighbourhood countries and the Mediterranean region by reinforcing cooperation and partnerships between the EU and Mediterranean countries under the umbrella of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). With a budget of 3M euros, this… read more
As a semi-enclosed sea and world tourist destination, the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to plastics, threatening Mediterranean species, ecosystems and human health. The UfM takes action to turn these challenges into solutions by supporting on-the-ground projects that identify plastic leakage hotspots and provide scientific evidence and recommendations to policymakers, as well as engaging stakeholders to develop solutions to plastic leakage and reduce usage. The newly UfM-supported project Toumali develops sustainable waste management systems in the tourism sector in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. The project Plastic Busters collects and analyzes plastic litter in the Mediterranean, with a notable focus on marine… read more
Co-organized by the UfM Secretariat, Sciences Po Aix, the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Economy, Secretary General Nasser Kamel opened the event held in the historical building of the French University. In his opening speech, Secretary General Nasser Kamel discussed the unexploited potential of economic integration for the Euro-Mediterranean region and highlighted the Janus-faced character of the regionalization of the value chain in the Mediterranean, filled with both challenges and opportunities. Aix en Provence. 2 June 2023 – UfM Secretary General opened the conference jointly organized by the UfM, Sciences Po Aix, the Délégation interministérielle à la Méditerranée… read more
24, 25, and 26 May 2023, Barcelona – The Union for the Mediterranean, in collaboration with ANIMA Investment Network organised the Conference on “Aligning investments with sustainability and corporate responsibility – The digitalization of impact measurement’’, in Barcelona with the support of the German Development Cooperation and EBSOMED. This joint Conference was the occasion to showcase several initiatives aiming at driving private investments towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as well as to have an exchange on how to use concrete tools to assess their performance in terms of economic, environmental, and social effects. During the first day, the European Union and other… read more
4th meeting of the UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Change 24 May 2023, Barcelona. The 4th meeting of the UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Change took place in Sitges, Barcelona, on 24 May 2023. Member countries of the UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Change, as well as different key stakeholders (CPMR, UNEP MAP, FAO, the European Forest Institute or Clima-Med, among others) met to foster progress on the 2nd UfM Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Climate Change action, adopted in Cairo in 2021. The 2021 Ministerial Declaration aims to intensify and accelerate the Mediterranean’s transition to… read more
The UfM Secretary-General was a guest speaker at the Opening Ceremony of the Euro-Med Economic & Banking Summit 2023. This was the occasion for him to share his views on economic sustainability in the Euro-Mediterranean region and to recall the role of the UfM in tackling climate change. Secretary-General Kamel partook in several bilateral meetings, including with with Mrs. Catherine Colonna, French Minister of European and Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hélène Le Gal, Managing Director for MENA at EEAS, Mr. Karim Amellal, Ambassador for the Mediterranean and UfM Senior Official, and Mr. Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser, and Sherpa to the President… read more
Barcelona, 23 May 2023. The Senior Officials of the Union for the Mediterranean held their second meeting of 2023 today to discuss the role, functioning and efficiency of the organisation, on the eve of its 15th anniversary. They reviewed the actions and activities planned for the year, notably the launch of the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue, the Day of the Mediterranean, as well as the 8th UfM Regional Forum, which will take place in November 2023 in Barcelona. During this annual meeting of the 43 UfM Foreign Ministers, a review of the achievements of the organisation will be conducted to… read more
The European House – Ambrosetti carried out the Cohesion Policy and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan with the Italian Ministry for European Affairs, in the Southern Italy region. This forum is the second edition of Verso Sud, an international summit on the growth potentials for Southern Italy within the framework of the opportunities presented by the Mediterranean Sea. In the panel titled “The Mediterranean Scenario”, UfM Secretary General discussed the challenges and opportunities present in the Mediterranean region and exposed possible projects involving the South more thoroughly. 19-20 May 2023, Sorrento – Aimed at promoting a new perspective and… read more
Academicians from across the Mediterranean meet in Tirana to materialize cooperation among Schools of Architecture and Urban Planning in the region through concrete joint actions, including the launching of a student competition on urban design. Tirana, Albania, 18-19 May 2023. The third meeting of the “Academic Advisory Group – Network of Schools of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Euro-Mediterranean Region” was organized by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and hosted by Polis University in Tirana on 18-19 May 2023, and gathered a group of academicians from across the region committed to working together to advance efforts towards the… read more
The UfM Secretary General was invited to participate in the second Europe-Africa Forum in Marseille as a guest speaker. This event was an opportunity for Secretary General Nasser Kamel to hold several bilateral meetings aimed at examining possibilities of cooperation with different institutions, but also to enlighten the present actors on UfM Secretariat activities. 16 May 2023, Marseille – The Europe-Africa Forum, which was inaugurated by Mrs. Martine Vassal – Présidente of “Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence”, and President of the “Conseil départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône”, chose the UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel as a guest speaker to reflect and share UfM perspectives during the… read more