UfM Euro-Mediterranean Sustainable Urban Development Strategy moves forward
Barcelona – 12 October 2012. The Third Senior Official Experts Meeting on the definition of the UfM Euro-Mediterranean Sustainable Urban Development Strategy was held in Barcelona on 11 October 2012. Following a presentation on the latest modifications to the draft Guidance Framework (GF) for Sustainable Euro-Mediterranean Cities and Territories, the participants praised the work done by the Secretariat, stating that the GF has become a mature document which will meet the needs of the UfM region. Some participants made additional comments that will be reflected in the new version to be presented in the coming meeting.
Regarding the Urban Projects Finance Initiative (UPFI), which responds to the second element of the strategy, namely a call to donors to favour the emergence of sustainable urban development projects likely to be labeled by the UfM, it was announced that the NIF Board is to give its final approval to the financing of the Technical Assistance Program on 19 October 2012. The financing of the Project Identification Study for its part, had already been secured by AFD and EIB, and discussions will continue on the kick-off meeting regarding the Study.
Concerning the third and fourth elements of the strategy, namely the award for urban innovations to identify and promote best practices and the preliminary study to determine if the creation of a coherent mechanism such as an Urban Agency for the Mediterranean is needed to support sustainable urban development in the Mediterranean, respectively, the Secretariat informed that it had decided to initiate a tender process for both studies which will be duly announced.
This meeting follows from the First UfM Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable Urban Development, held in Strasbourg in November 2011 which entrusted the Senior Official Experts to formulate the Euro-Mediterranean Sustainable Urban Development Strategy with the support of the Secretariat.
