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Union pour la Méditerranée – UpMUnion pour la Méditerranée – UpMUnion pour la Méditerranée – UpMUnion pour la Méditerranée – UpM     Mediterranean Day
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      L’Union pour la Méditerranée est une institution intergouvernementale réunissant les États membres de l’Union européenne et 16 pays du Sud et de l’Est de la Méditerranée dont le but est de promouvoir le dialogue et la coopération.

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      UfM Annual Report 2021 Regional Integration
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    • L’Union pour la Méditerranée agit par le biais de son Secrétariat général, établi à Barcelone en mars 2010. L’équipe du Secrétariat général compte des personnes de plus de 17 nationalités travaillant dans un environnement multiculturel promouvant la coopération, ainsi que la communication et les échanges interculturels.

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      La mission de l’UpM est de renforcer la coopération et le dialogue régional et favoriser la mise en œuvre d’initiatives et de projets concrets ayant un impact réel sur nos citoyens autour des trois priorités stratégiques de la région: le développement humain, la stabilité et l’intégration.

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      6 March 2023 – Alghad.com – المؤتمر الدولي لمصادر المياه بعمان: تحديد للفرص القابلة للتنفيذ
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      27 February 2023 – Huffington Post – “Nel Mediterraneo è sfida per l’energia, 250 progetti per portarla da Sud a Nord”
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      25 December 2022 – La verdad – Álvaro Albacete Perea: «Estamos en la frontera de los dos territorios con más disparidad económica»
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Enhancing regional stability, development and integration: 5 new priorities for the UfM

I. Environmental and climate action

II. Sustainable and inclusive economic and human development

III. Social inclusiveness and equality

IV. Digital transformation

V. Civil Protection

Video of the Year

In November 2020, on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Barcelona Process, the 42 UfM ‎Member States recognised the need to prioritise, in the years to come, five areas of action where the ‎UfM can play a crucial role and provide for comparative advantages towards a sustainable post-‎pandemic recovery, paving the way for the creation of more resilient societies and economies in the ‎region.‎

In this spirit, the year 2021 witnessed significant progress in these five priority areas identified in ‎November 2020, namely: environmental and climate action, sustainable and inclusive economic and ‎human development, social inclusiveness and equality, digital transformation, and civil protection.‎

While advancing on these strategic sectors, we ensured the alignment of our activities to the new EU ‎Agenda for the Mediterranean launched in February 2021. ‎

Lastly, 2021 saw the launch of the Day of the Mediterranean, on 28 November, a day to celebrate our ‎cooperation and culture, to strengthen ties between our two shores, embrace diversity and deepen ‎our understanding of each other.‎

Message from our
Secretary General

Nasser Kamel

VISIT THE SG PAGE
READ THE MESSAGE

I. Environmental and climate action

The climate crisis affects people all across the Mediterranean region in multiple ways. A common threat such as this requires common solutions from UfM Member States. The region has enormous potential when it comes to renewable energy sources, which we must work to fully harness, and with more than 180 million considered to be ‘water poor’ in the region, we must aim to future-proof this sector and ensure sustainable water supplies.

At present, the Mediterranean is using three times more resources than it can generate, and has seen a range of environmental problems in very recent memory, such as record-high temperatures, severe flooding and forest fires. 

Moreover, temperatures in the Mediterranean are on course to increase by up to 5.6°C by the end of the century. At the same time, rainfall is forecast to drop by some 20%, and average sea levels are due to rise by up to 90cm. We are after all at a turning point that requires serious attention; it is vital that we take the necessary actions.

With these threats come huge opportunities in the region. Yes, demand for energy continues to rise, with an increase of some 37% predicted in the period from 2021 to 2050. But, even solar power alone could provide 100 times the energy needs of the entire EU and MENA area.

Sustainability is not just about words; we need action guided by a roadmap capable of driving the transition to a greener economy. To make this a reality, we need to work together.

Read more about the UfM environmental and climate action

Mediterranean human story

Tackling the climate crisis

How are local actions confronting a global challenge? Read the stories of 3 local champions in the fight against climate change, in the framework of the UfM- supported project Clima-Med.

KEY PARTNER
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency supports the activities of the UfM Secretariat since 2017, with a total budget of more than 8 million euros.

The cooperation agreement between the two organisations aims at enhancing and amplifying the UfM Secretariat regional activities in the MENA region, in three priority areas of common interest: Water, environment and blue economy; women empowerment; and energy and climate action.

The agreement foresees a dedicated support to the UfM water agenda implemented in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med)

ZOOM ON UfM PROJECTS
Urban Projects Finance Initiative (UPFI)

The Urban Projects Finance Initiative (UPFI) supports project promoters in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean regions as well as in the Western Balkans, helping them to prepare and to finance ambitious urban development projects, which aim to create jobs, to reduce poverty and to upgrade the urban fabric

II. Sustainable and inclusive economic and human development

Further integration across the Mediterranean region is the key to securing sustainable economic growth and unleashing the human potential of an area that accounts for more than 20% of global trade in goods. Research and Innovation (R&I) is vital in providing new solutions to the current challenges faced, and the shortcomings in infrastructure systems need to be addressed to increase trade participation and eliminate regional imbalances.

However, much work needs to be done with regard to creating a more inclusive environment where all can prosper. More needs to be done to marry the skills inculcated in education and training to the needs of the labour market. Currently, some 30% of people with third-level education in the region are unemployed, which is higher than those without it.

It is therefore necessary to align government policies, academia and the private sector to optimise outcomes. A holistic response is required to unlock the region’s potential. Moreover, there remain issues regarding the recognition of qualifications, which if solved could help the flow of knowledge and talent flourish more freely between UfM Member States.

Also of critical importance is the imbalance in trade flows. The EU accounts for 94% of merchandise exports whilst 70% of Mediterranean cargo flows exclusively between European ports. Only 15% of these flows are between Europe and North Africa. This drops to just 5% within the MENA region.

There is also a lack of a harmonised regulatory framework at national and sub-regional levels. It is vital that we break down barriers to integration. It was with issues such as these in mind that the 11th Trade Ministerial Conference was convened by the UfM in 2020, looking at ways of bringing about a more mutually supportive relationship between trade and investment and sustainable development.

Another issue is the deficit in infrastructure in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean regions. Simply put, more is needed. The MENA region requires a spend of 7% of GDP, not just to maintain existing infrastructure, but to improve it.

Despite the tremendous scope to growing green energy output, the bulk of energy trading still centres on fossil fuels. On top of this, the overall levels of energy interconnectivity needs to be improved.

Another key area for the UfM is that of the blue economy. We need to move towards a more sustainable future in this regard, and once more, it is important to match skills to ensure a better linkage with the opportunities and challenges that presently exist. The 2nd UfM Ministerial Declaration on the blue economy has identified ten priority areas that need to be addressed for the future.

Read more about the UfM action in fostering inclusive and sustainable growth

Mediterranean
human story

Asma Kherrati: Women’s dreams should not be out of reach

« The project is very helpful to women as it is an excellent opportunity to acquire skills related to product marketing, e-commerce, and communication in order to best adapt to a changing market and overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. »
Read the full Human Story

KEY PARTNER
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

In 2017, the UfM Secretariat signed a joint declaration with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to push forward regional integration, support the creation of a wide range of employment opportunities, in particular for young women and men, and boost trade within the Mediterranean region and beyond. To achieve these goals, the BMZ supported the UfM Secretariat, through the GIZ, with an advisory project for the years 2017- 2021.

ZOOM ON UfM PROJECTS
BlueSkills Project

Since 2017, the UfM Secretariat has supported the BlueSkills project. Promoted by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) and operating under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), the project aims at providing opportunities for marine and maritime careers by developing skills, exchanging knowledge and gathering research for a more sustainable Mediterranean Sea.

III. Social inclusiveness and equality

In order to achieve future socio-economic development, it is important to mobilise all of society so that no group is left behind. Gender disparities remain and must be tackled by empowering women to take part in the general economy, entrepreneurship and leadership roles. 

Young people and vulnerable populations, such as refugees and displaced people, need to be given the practical and educational tools to ensure that they too can prosper, and the social economy must be boosted.

Read more about the UfM action in leaving no one behind

Mediterranean
human story

Noora Abdeen-Khalifeh: Women in business: Building on the past to create a resilient future

“Women are partners to one another and with such partnership, collaboration and exchange of culture and experiences, we can aim so high and shine in the fashion industry and the business world.

KEY PARTNER
Regional Bureau for Arab States of the United - Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

In November 2021, the UfM Secretariat signed a new partnership agreement with the Regional Bureau for Arab States of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The three-year agreement will include actions to empower young people by supporting leadership programmes and developing sound policies that address their needs. Additionally, mutual opportunities to promote employment and economic growth in the Mediterranean and Arab States region will be explored, with a focus on increasing the employability of vulnerable groups, like youth and women, and fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and private sector development.

ZOOM ON UfM PROJECTS
Euromed-RRM

UNHCR data shows that Syria has displaced more than 11.2 million people within and outside the country. The Euromed-RRM project, promoted by the Global Platform for Higher Education in Emergencies, aims at running an emergency scholarship programme to test the feasibility of a systemic, full-scale academic response for young people caught in humanitarian crises or in forced mobility due to conflicts and natural disasters. The project also counts with the support of a core group of institutional partners, namely the Council of Europe, the League of Arab States, and the International Organization of Migrations.

IV. Digital transformation

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the move towards greater digitalisation, both in the public and private spheres. This trend has the potential to improve people’s lives but there remain hurdles to be overcome, including persistent gender disparities. 

It is important to improve access to this new digital world, to enable governmental bodies to more effectively reach their citizens and also to help businesses across the region to thrive by making the most out of this transition.

In particular, the wider MENA region is coming up short in terms of business and commerce. Only 8% of small and medium-sized businesses there have an online footprint – this compares to 80% in the United States. Meanwhile, in retail, just 1.5% of businesses are online. 

Read more about the UfM action in integrating digital technology in all areas

KEY PARTNER
Mobile World Capital

Mobile World Capital is a foundation driving the digital advancement of society, while helping improve people’s lives globally. With the support of the public and private sector, MWCapital focuses on four areas: the acceleration of innovation through digital entrepreneurship, the transformation of industries through digital technology, the rise of digital talent among new generations and professionals, and the reflection on the impact of technology in our society.

Within the framework of the MWCapital Barcelona 2021, an MoU was signed with the UfM to achieve common objectives in the fields of digital transformation, bridging the digital gap and promoting digital skills and entrepreneurship across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

MORE ON UfM INITIATIVES: the Mediterranean Blue Economy Stakeholder Platform

Managed since 2017 by the UfM Secretariat and funded by the EU, the Mediterranean Blue Economy Stakeholder Platform (MedBESP) is a web-based portal aimed at sharing knowledge and supporting the development of the blue economy in the Mediterranean region. Working as a true “one-stop-shop”, the platform allows sharing and consolidating information on marine and maritime affairs and promotes a blue economy community by facilitating contacts between existing education networks, while serving as an interface for mobility programmes.

The platform’s ultimate goal is to provide a systemic and coherent framework on maritime governance, through a more integrated and coordinated approach to policies.

V. Civil Protection

Coordinating and improving civil protection in the face of natural or man-made disasters has been a key goal for the UfM being founded in 2008. The aim is to bring together national and existing multilateral bodies to enable more effective responses to such threats in the region and to raise the overall level of expertise in dealing with and anticipating these events in a spirit of solidarity to mitigate their impacts.

The Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to such events, making common approaches to dealing with the consequences all the more important. The UfM has ramped up the pace in this area, with a focus on cooperation on disaster risk management, with the UfM proving an invaluable platform for dialogue in this area of civil protection whilst creating links between policymakers and the operational side of current measures.

Read more about the UfM action in advancing Civil Protection

KEY PARTNER
The European Commission

Civil protection cooperation on a regional level in the Mediterranean has mainly been funded and ‎realized by the European Commission, notably through the “Prevention, Preparedness and Response ‎to Natural and Man-Made disasters in Middle East and North Africa Partnership Countries” Programme (PPRD ‎South) – see below. Thanks to the impetus given by the EC with the UfM Secretariat, the Directors-General ‎of Civil Protection of the UfM Member States gathered on 11 February 2019 at the UfM headquarters, ‎in Barcelona, almost a decade after their last meeting, and launched a reflection to develop an action ‎plan for strengthened Euro-Mediterranean cooperation on prevention campaigns, emergency ‎response and crisis management.‎

ZOOM ON UfM PROJECTS
PPRD - South

PPRD-South – Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and ManMade disasters in Middle East and North Africa Partnership Countries is an EU Programme that has been running since 2009, and which is today in its third phase. The project’s overall objective is to contribute to increasing resilience and reducing the social, economic and environmental costs of natural and man-made disasters in the Mediterranean Southern region. The project has two specific objectives:

1) National approaches to disaster management are further developed, based on prevention, mitigation, and preparedness rather than on response, with the involvement of all relevant governmental actors as well as of civil society stakeholders;

2) Intra-regional, and where appropriate regional, coordination and cooperation is enhanced, in order to have coordinated responses of countries of the Mediterranean Basin affected by the same disaster; and institutional cooperation between the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and the EU South partner countries’ civil protection agencies is strengthened.

Mediterranean
human story

Laurent Alfonso

Captain Professional Firefighter and Foreign affairs officer at the Directorate General for Civil Security and Crisis Management of the French Ministry of Interior

Captain Laurent Alfonso was seconded to the UfM Secretariat by France to support the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue on civil protection and assist the organisation in the preparations of the next UfM Civil Protection Directors-General meeting. As an expert in the European Civil Protection Mechanism, he has worked in many countries as a trainer in operational management and command, forest fires, communication and prevention.

2021, a year in review

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