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Union for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfM     Mediterranean Day
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      The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental institution bringing together the European Union Member States and 16 countries from the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean to promote dialogue and cooperation.

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      UfM Annual Report 2021 Regional Integration
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      The UfM seeks to enhance regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of concrete projects and initiatives with tangible impact on our citizens to address three strategic objectives: human development, stability and integration.

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    • The UfM Secretariat is the operational platform of the Union for the Mediterranean. The staff of the UfM is made of more than 17 nationalities working in a multicultural environment that fosters cooperation and intercultural communication and exchange.

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      23 November – mena.org.eg – السفير ناصر كامل لـ(أ ش أ): اختيار عاصمة ثقافية من شمال المتوسط وأخرى من الجنوب
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      24 November – La Presse – 7e Forum Régional de l’Union Pour la Méditerranée : Les capitales culturelles et la jeunesse de la Méditerranée au menu
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      24 November – DW – An Inside Europe special celebrating the Day of the Mediterranean
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Frequently asked questions on the Barcelona Process and the Union for the Mediterranean

What is the Barcelona Process?

The Barcelona Process is a unique and ambitious initiative that laid the foundations of a new regional partnership representing a turning point in Euro-Mediterranean relations. The ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU and 12 southern and eastern Mediterranean countries held in 1995 the first Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Barcelona and signed an agreement to launch the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Process. The Barcelona Process was born as a new dialogue framework out of a vocation to convert the Mediterranean region into a common space for peace, stability, security and shared socio-economic progress and dialogue between peoples.

In the Barcelona Declaration, the Euro-Mediterranean partners established three main objectives of the Partnership:

  1. Definition of a common area of peace and stability through the reinforcement of political and security dialogue (Political and Security Basket).
  2. Construction of a zone of shared prosperity through an economic and financial partnership and the gradual establishment of a free-trade area (Economic and Financial Basket).
  3. Rapprochement between peoples through a social, cultural and human partnership aimed at encouraging understanding between cultures and exchanges between civil societies (Social, Cultural and Human Basket)

This expression of good faith and the recognition that closer ties were in everyone’s interest would lead later to the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in 2008.

 

How are the Barcelona Process and the UfM linked?

The UfM was launched in 2008 in Paris by a decision of the UfM Heads of State and Government with a view to giving a new impetus to the Barcelona Process and increasing the potential for regional integration and cohesion.

The UfM is the only institution that brings together the European and the Southern Mediterranean countries to work together on equal footing under a North-South Co-Presidency, currently held by the EU and Jordan. It aims at enhancing regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of concrete projects and initiatives with tangible impact on the lives of the citizensThe UfM Secretariat was created in Barcelona in 2010 as the operational institution that empowers regional dialogue among the UfM Member States and stakeholders, fostering synergies and coordination among them and promoting regional cooperation projects and initiatives.

How does the UfM work?

The UfM has developed a specific methodology to address the root causes of the current challenges facing our region. This methodology, named the “three Ps”, is composed of three main pillars

–          Political Fora. Ministerial Meetings define the priorities through the adoption of common regional agendas. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs meet once a year at the UfM Regional Forum to define overall strategic areas and priorities. Sectorial ministerial meetings usefully complement the political dialogue by addressing key strategic priorities in the region. Declarations adopted by consensus by the 42 Ministers define the scope and objectives of common thematic agendas.

–          Dialogue Platforms. Ministerial mandates allow the UfM Secretariat to structure accordingly platforms for regional dialogue that ensure the implementation of the goals set by the sectoral Declarations. These regional platforms involve a wide range of stakeholders including government representatives, international and regional organisations, financial institutions, experts as well as private sector and civil society representatives.

–          Regional projects and initiatives, which follow-up on the political orientations and dynamics of the platforms and ensure a regional impact on the ground.

The main added value of this methodology lies in the interrelation created between the policy dimension and its operational translation into concrete projects.

Does the UfM Secretariat finance projects?

The UfM Secretariat is not a donor institution and does not fund the implementation of the projects. It supports the project’s development, the search for the necessary financial resources as well as political and technical support to secure its launch. It also cooperates with the project promoters to facilitate all steps needed to start project implementation. The Secretariat facilitates the access to a network of partners and donors and accompanies the promoters in their fundraising and preparation of implementation strategy.

What is the UfM label?

The UfM label is attributed to regional cooperation projects by the unanimous endorsement of the 43 UfM countries that meet on a regular basis through their country representatives, or Senior Officials, designated by the respective ministries of foreign affairs. The UfM label:

  • Brings the support of 42 countries
  • Helps to find solutions for complex regional projects
  • Facilitates access to finance
  • Makes a project idea become a reality

Find out more on our dedicated webpage

 

How is the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean financed?

The UfM Secretariat operational budget is financed up to 50% by the European Commission and, for the other half, by contributions from its member states.

How long is the UfM Secretary General’s mandate? How long is the Co-Presidency mandate? How is it decided?

The Secretary General’s mandate is 3 years, renewable only for one more term. There is no term for the Co-Presidency, as the decision is taken by the Member States. Following Egypt and France, the Co-Presidency is assumed since 2012 by Jordan from the South and the EU from the North.

Which role plays the UfM in the fight against climate change?

The Mediterranean Region has been repeatedly pointed out by the international scientific community as particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. As early as May 2014, in Athens, the 43 UfM Ministers adopted a joint declaration making the fight against climate change a priority. This Agreement is the result of a long-term strategic vision shared by all the member countries of the UfM. In this framework, the Union for the Mediterranean has notably supported the elaboration of the First scientific report on the impact of climate change in the Mediterranean region. Currently 12 UfM projects are related to climate action and account more than €2.6 bn. The Union for the Mediterranean always includes a climate action dimension in all its projects, from urban development to environmental issues, such as the depollution of Lake Bizerte the desalination facility for the Gaza strip

Back to the main 25-year Barcelona Process Anniversary Page

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Who we are

  • Member States
  • Meet the team
  • Partners
  • History

What we do

  • Economic Development & Employment
  • Higher Education & Research
  • Social & Civil Affairs
  • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
  • Transport & Urban Development
  • Energy & Climate Action

How we work

  • Political Framework
  • Regional Dialogue Platforms
  • Projects and Initiatives

Work with us

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  • Roster of experts

Info centre

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  • Who we are
    • Member States
    • Meet the team
    • Partners
    • History
  • What we do
    • Economic Development and Employment
    • Higher Education & Research
    • Social & Civil Affairs
    • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
    • Transport & Urban Development
    • Energy & Climate Action
  • How we work
    • Political Framework
    • Regional Dialogue Platforms
    • Projects and Initiatives
  • Work with us
    • Vacancies
    • Secondments
    • Internships
    • Procurement
    • Roster of experts
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