12 March 2025, Tirana – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), co-leaders of the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue , joined the Municipality of Tirana to celebrate the official Opening Ceremony of Tirana as Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2025. The Mediterranean Capitals initiative highlights the Mediterranean’s cultural richness and promotes mutual understanding through a yearlong programme of cultural and educational events. Each edition designates two cities—one from each shore of the Mediterranean—to host the initiative, with Tirana and Alexandria leading the inaugural year. The grand opening on 12 March 2025 held… read more
The Euro-Mediterranean region’s few remaining glaciers have retreated significantly in recent years, be it in the Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, or Balkan peninsula. Their existence is precarious as many could disappear completely in the coming decades. Melting glaciers on our warming planet are linked to flooding, landslides, sea level rise and droughts. Glaciers are key to healthy ecosystems, but uncertain water flows from rapidly melting ice can negatively impact people and the environment. In a region plagued with water scarcity and quality issues and where the population classified as water poor is expected to increase to more than 250 million by… read more
24 March 2025 – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in strategic partnership with the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), announces the launch of “InspireHer: Transforming Financial Access and Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region”, an initiative aimed at dismantling long-standing barriers to financial inclusion faced by women across nine countries in the MENA region, including Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. Women entrepreneurs at various stages of their journey are encouraged to apply to one of three categories. The New Venture Category is designed for early-stage entrepreneurs with innovative ideas aimed at overcoming financial barriers or… read more
12 March 2025, Barcelona – The Union for the Mediterranean and Interreg NEXT MED, the largest EU-funded transnational cooperation programme promoting socioeconomic development and environmental initiatives in the Mediterranean Basin, have reached an agreement formally extending collaboration between both parties for at least another three years. The Memorandum of Understanding, which highlights how both Euro-Mediterranean institutions strive to reinforce political, socioeconomic, and cultural ties in the region, was signed by UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel and Director General of the Interreg NEXT MED Programme Giovanna Medde. The agreement, significantly, foresees mutual participation in events and conferences and, when relevant, extends… read more
13-14 March 2025, Marseille, France. Can the ancient building techniques of the Mediterranean help tackle today’s climate challenges? The UfM Field Visits: Traditional Building Skills event, held in Marseille on 13-14 March 2025, explored how heritage-based construction methods can provide sustainable solutions for the future. The two-day event brought together experts, educators, and policymakers from Morocco and Tunisia to examine successful programmes that integrate traditional building skills into certified training schemes. These efforts aim to enhance sustainable construction, create skilled employment opportunities, and reinforce heritage protection. Traditional building methods offer valuable lessons for climate adaptation and mitigation. Many Euro-Mediterranean countries… read more
March 7, 2025, Barcelona – In celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, the Union for the Mediterranean hosted a webinar exploring the nexus between gender, climate change, and security, which gathered 230 registered participants. The recording of the session is now available for viewing and can be accessed by following this link. The event brought together experts, practitioners, and activists to shed light on the interconnections between these issues, particularly in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The webinar also marked the official launch of the second UfM-IEMed MedWE Policy Paper: “Climate Crisis and Gender Equality in the Euro-Mediterranean Region – Emerging Security… read more
26-28 February 2025, Fes, Morocco. The Mediterranean Youth Water Hackathon concluded on 28 February 2025, bringing together young innovators from across the region to tackle critical challenges within the Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus. Organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and supported by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), Sida, HLD pour la Méditerranée, and Young Water Solutions, the event was implemented by Cewas, MedYWat, and the EuroMed University of Fes (UEMF). The three-day hackathon provided a dynamic and interactive platform for 15 outstanding teams, composed of 28 young participants, selected from a highly competitive pool of… read more
The region is a climate change hotspot, the effects of which disproportionally impact women. Watch the UfM’s International Women’s Day webinar on gender, climate change and security, which explored how to capitalise on women’s potential to counter climate change and address its implications for peace and safety. Later this year the UfM will present the 2nd Progress Report on Gender Equality in the Euro-Mediterranean Region. With figures from the first-ever Intergovernmental Gender Monitoring Mechanism, it will provide policymakers with data-informed recommendations to close the gender gap in the region. 8 March 2025, Barcelona. As another International Women’s Day is marked, it… read more
The UfM undertakes a first landmark step towards engaging policymakers from the UfM Member States in the formulation of multilateral trade and investment policies, leveraging the expertise of international trade and investment organisations. The study visit will pave the way for enhanced collaboration between UfM Member States and international trade institutions, aiming at greater regional economic integration and sustainable investment strategies to enhance competitiveness and trade resilience. Geneva, 25-27 February 2025. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) successfully concluded its Study Visit on International Trade and Investment Policy held from February 25 to 27, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized in… read more
The ARLEM Award – Young local entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean goes into its seventh edition, and once again within the framework of the celebrations of the Day of the Mediterranean and with the support of the UfM. Registration is now open for the prize for entrepreneurial enterprises boosting local communities in the Southern Mediterranean, awarded by the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) and until 15th of May 2025. The prize will be awarded to a young entrepreneur up to 36 years old, supported by her/his regional or local community and whose company has been registered for at least 3 years…. read more
