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• The blue economy offers enormous potential for job creation and investment in the Mediterranean, thus contributing to human development, stability and regional integration. This untapped potential can only be exploited through the better coordination of maritime affairs among all Mediterranean countries.

• The 1st UfM Working Group on the Blue Economy took place in Turku, Finland, with the aim of discussing the state of play of regional cooperation in the different areas relevant to the blue economy, fostering initiatives and projects and preparing for the launch of the UfM Forum on Blue Economy. The meeting was held just prior to the European Maritime Day (18-19 May).

SwitchMed Connect opens ¨Call for contributions¨. You can now submit your ideas until the end of May 2016.

• The 1st informal Expert Meeting on Road Safety in the Mediterranean gathered experts from key institutions to agree on further action to improve road safety in the region.

• “The UfM is very well placed to coordinate road safety prevention efforts in the Mediterranean”, said Jean Todt, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Road Safety.

• “The UfM Secretariat stands ready to contribute to road safety efforts in the region within the framework of its activities in the transport sector, by providing a wide intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder platform to build on a concerted agenda”, said UfM Secretary General Sijilmassi. “The figures on road traffic accident victims and the socio-economic impact are staggering. It is time for action”, he added.

Turku, Finland, 17 May 2016 The recently adopted Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Declaration on the Blue Economy represents the political commitment to improve maritime governance and create an environment conducive to job creation, innovation and knowledge-based business opportunities through the strengthening or development of key maritime sectors in the Mediterranean, in line with sustainable consumptionRead more

• The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and UN-Habitat sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration for an integrated approach to urban development, focusing on water management, risk reduction and resilience.

• Fostering sustainable urban development is paramount to effectively advance integration, stability and human development in the Mediterranean.

Barcelona, 17 March 2016 For further information please contact the Transport and Urban Development division: transport@ufmsecretariat.org  Read more

The Project aims at developing a seamless intermodal goods transport service that will bridge Turkey (Izmir) with the Maghreb area through Tunisia (Tunis and Rades). The service will call in the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto.

The Project will aim to optimize freight transport, logistics chain and the connection of the different shores of the Mediterranean through offering a high frequency port-to-port Roll-on-Roll-off (Ro-Ro) service. The service will positively contribute to the expansion of trade relations among UfM countries through a combination of Short Sea Shipping with other modes of transport (road and rail). Further, it will enhance the global competitiveness of the Mediterranean while complementing and create synergies with the existing Mediterranean transport system.

The overall goal of the project is to effectively tackle the issue of marine litter in the Mediterranean. The project directly supports the implementation of the UNEP/MAP Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean, linking and contributing also to the global Honolulu Strategy framework for prevention and management of Marine Debris. The project is also in line with the recommendations of the UfM Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate Change (May 2014) and the UfM Ministerial on Blue Economy (November 2015).

UfM Secretariat Headquarters, Barcelona, 15 December 2015 The UfM Working Group on Urban Development, created by the Transport and Urban Development Division as a consultative body in the early days of UfM Secretariat, will hold its VII Meeting in Barcelona on 15 December  2015. The event will bring together eminent experts from several partner institutions toRead more

UfM welcomes the adoption of the Paris Agreement by all the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a major breakthrough in tackling climate change.

The UfM Secretariat will continue working on a regional dimension, by ensuring operational support to all UfM Members in the implementation of their climate policies and the achievement of the common objectives.

The next COP22 will be held in Marrakech in November 2016, taking stock of the progress achieved in the regional process.