Sida – UfM Secretariat annual meeting: Renewed strategic partnership
Barcelona, 27-29 September 2022. In the framework of a cooperation agreement, the annual meetings between Sweden’s government agency for development cooperation, Sida, and the UfMS were held in Barcelona from the 27th to the 29th of September at the UfM Secretariat premises in Barcelona. The meeting served to present the UfM mission and the UfM Secretariat work methodology, give an overview on the main achievements of the Sida – UfM Secretariat Partnership and discuss the new features of the extended cooperation agreement.
The cooperation agreement renewed in December 2021 for the period 2022-2025 is moving from an operating grant to a programmatic approach. The cooperation between Sida and the UfM Secretariat for the upcoming period consists in a programme designed from a Results-Based Management (RBM) perspective, compatible with the mandate of the UfM and the Secretariat yearly work-programs, geared towards presenting the impact of the Secretariat activities and how the action of the UfM brings changes in the region. Through this process, an enhanced coordination and interaction between divisions will be facilitated and synergies will be built.
With a total budget of with a total budget equivalent to € 4,9 million over the 4-year period, the Cooperation with Sida aims at enhancing and amplifying UfMS regional activities in the MENA countries, in three priority areas of common interest, namely Women Empowerment; Water, Environment and Blue Economy and energy and Climate Action.
During the meeting, Sida and the UfMS confirmed that the cooperation agreement is being fruitful and generating concrete results for the benefit of the region. The concurrence of the priority areas addressed by both institutions in the Mediterranean, means that the UfMS and Sida are natural partners to enhance sustainable and human development in the region.
