16-18 April 2024, Timimoun and Adrar, Algeria – Over the course of three days, the “UfM Workshop on Urban Heritage and Traditional Building Skills” convened national and international experts to explore innovative solutions using traditional construction methods, with a focus on local materials and vernacular techniques. This initiative aims to bolster the resilience of local heritage and discuss sustainable approaches to rebuilding, adapted to climate challenges. Organised in collaboration with UNESCO Regional Office for Maghreb Countries and the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Algeria, with financial support from the German Development Cooperation, the workshop is part of a series… read more
16-18 April 2024, Brussels – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the European Commission announced the launch of the Euro-Mediterranean Hub for Research and Innovation (R&I) during a series of R&I events held within the framework of UNIMED Week in Brussels. This groundbreaking initiative aims to serve as a pivotal platform for learning and collaboration, fostering Mediterranean cooperation while advancing the UfM Regional Policy Dialogue on R&I. The Hub will play a crucial role in facilitating the implementation of R&I roadmaps focusing on critical areas such as health, renewable energies, and climate change. The newly inaugurated portal, accessible at… read more
Ahead of the 2025 UfM Ministerial on Employment and Labour, representatives of the UfM Member States and Social Partners convened in Zagreb to discuss the state-of-play of implementation of the 2022 Marrakech Declaration and to exchange best practices on Youth Employment and Women Economic Empowerment. The UfM Region faces several employment-related challenges in the aftermath of major socio-economic and geopolitical disruptions, but there are many reasons for optimism in a region where numerous best practices and success stories from both shores can be showcased, scaled up, and replicated. Zagreb, 16-17 April 2024. Within the framework of the UfM Roadmap 2022-2025… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean hosted a meeting of Euro-Mediterranean development agencies in Barcelona to encourage deeper cooperation with the goal of maximising outcomes and amplifying impact on the ground. Some 30 representatives from agencies from 15 UfM Member States discussed common priorities in the Mediterranean region as well as how to join forces to further benefit the region’s citizens. Participants visited a ‘Second Chance’ school for the socio-professional integration of young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs). Part of the UfM-labelled Mediterranean New Chance project, this network helps advance the organisation’s objectives of stability, inclusive… read more
The Mediterranean region, a critical climate change hotspot that is warming at a rate 20% faster than the global average, is home to over 180 million people who are considered water poor and an additional 60 million who face water stress. The Union for the Mediterranean, in line with the 2024 World Water Day theme of leveraging water for peace, highlights the need to step up collaborative responses to the water scarcity crisis, an issue that is compounded by climate change as well as factors including overtourism, increased population growth or rapid urbanisation. The UfM continues to work towards advancing… read more
13 March 2024, Paris – The Mediterranean is more than ever at the heart of the political agenda. Indeed, with the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the rising tensions in the region, it becomes ever more challenging to continue efforts to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and its sole multilateral framework: the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). In that context, the UfM Secretariat joined forces with the Paris School of International Affairs of Sciences Po, leading university ranking amongst the top 3 institutions globally for “politics and international studies” since 2019, and the French Ministry of Europe and… read more
In collaboration with the German Development Cooperation and with the support of the European Union, the UfM Secretariat convened the 7th Meeting of the UfM Community of Practice (CoP) on Youth Employment in the Southern Mediterranean. The UfM Secretariat actively promotes decent work opportunities and career guidance initiatives for young people in the Southern Mediterranean region. This focus recognizes youth employment as a crucial driver of sustainable human development and inclusive economic growth. Barcelona, 5-6 March 2024. The UfM Secretariat, together with the German Development Cooperation and with the support of the European Union, organised the 7th Meeting of the… read more
Closing gender gaps in the MENA financial sector: towards women-led business development took place on March 6 and 7 in Cairo. 100 public and private sector participants engaged in strategic discussions and activities aimed at fostering inclusion in the predominantly male world of business. The conference featured six panel discussions and interactive roundtable talks on strengthening the role of women in the sector as well as an award ceremony for innovative women-led startups and a matchmaking session for founders and investors. Under 5% of businesses in the MENA region are led by women, around 20 percentage points below the global… read more
The resilience and adaptability of ports and shipping are vital for transport connectivity, enhanced regional integration, and for addressing longer-term sustainability goals. “MARLOG 13” addresses the latest trends and innovations in sustainable and resilient green blue infrastructure in ports and logistics. The UfM-supported Blue Mediterranean Partnership will support transition to a sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean region. 3-5 March 2024, Alexandria, Egypt. The 13th edition of the International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference “MARLOG 13” held in Alexandria, Egypt on 2-5 March 2024, addressed the latest trends and innovations in sustainable and resilient green blue infrastructure in ports and… read more
1 March 2024, Ouarzazate, Morocco – In the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Morocco in September 2023, the three-day “UfM Workshop on Traditional Building Skills for an Earthquake Resistant Reconstruction” held in Ouarzazate, Morocco from 28 February to 1 March 2024, took on particular importance. National and international experts came together to discuss how to strengthen the resilience of local heritage in the face of future earthquakes. Experts closely examined the use of traditional construction in the context of post-earthquake reconstruction, and explored solutions that take advantage of traditional construction, with particular emphasis on the use of local materials… read more