Around 2 billion people around the globe work informally, most of them in emerging and developing countries, including a 68.8% in the Arab World. The absolute majority of these workers do not enjoy social protection, rights at work or decent working conditions, which seriously hampers the sustainable and inclusive development efforts on the ground. Most people end up in the informal economy not out of choice, but out of need in the absence of any other viable and decent alternative that would protect their rights in a properly-functioning labour market. The UfM Secretariat joins the regional and global efforts aiming… Lire la suite
The Action Plan on UfM Cooperation on fight against Piracy and Counterfeiting is one of the important deliverables of the UfM Ministerial Conference on Trade, held last year in Brussels Intellectual Property-intensive sectors account for 42% of the European Union’s Gross Domestic Product, worth €5.7 trillion and generates 38% of all jobs About 5% of all good imported into the European Union are counterfeit or pirated, which is equivalent to €85 billion in illegal trade The UfM Secretariat is actively engaged in promoting trade in the UfM Region, given the very low economic integration levels, specially amongst the southern Mediterranean… Lire la suite
Paris, 6 March 2019. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, met today with the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly, following an invitation by Marielle de Sarnez, Chair of the Committee. During the meeting, Secretary General Kamel presented the recent activities and initiatives developed and supported by the UfM, underlining the role of the organisation in a rapidly evolving regional context, while emphasizing the need to reinforce regional cooperation. He provided an update on UfM region-wide agendas on women’s empowerment and water as well as on the role and… Lire la suite
Les représentants des pays de l’UpM et des experts de la région mettent au point un mécanisme permettant de suivre les progrès réalisés en matière de droits des femmes, d’évaluer les écarts entre les sexes et de formuler des recommandations à l’intention des décideurs. L’émancipation des femmes est un domaine de travail prioritaire de l’UpM. L’organisation promeut actuellement des projets de coopération régionale concernant l’entreprenariat féminin, la santé, l’égalité des sexes, la lutte contre la violence sexiste et la prévention de l’extrémisme. Une étude régionale sur le rôle des femmes et des jeunes dans la prévention de l’extrémisme violent paraîtra… Lire la suite
26-27 February 2019, Seville. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, participated in the 10th Plenary Session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly, which took place in Seville on the 26th and 27th February. The annual gathering of the Assembly of regional and local authorities of the Euro-Mediterranean region (ARLEM) focused its debates on two main topics, “Governance and Transparency” and “Youth Entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean”, with the presentation and approval of two reports on those important subjects. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, presented the members of ARLEM with an overview of the activities,… Lire la suite
Sofia, 25 February 2019. In the framework of his outreach to Member States, the UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, has paid his first official visit to Bulgaria on the 25th of February 2019, following an invitation by Ekaterina Zakharieva, Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria. During their meeting, Secretary General Kamel expressed his appreciation to Minister Zakharieva for the support of her country to the UfM, highlighting that Bulgaria has always been a natural bridge between Europe and the Southern Mediterranean countries, and has close ties to the Mare Nostrum in… Lire la suite
Athens, 19-20 February 2019. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, paid a working visit to Athens from 19 to 20 February 2019, where he was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, George Katrougalos. The new Alternate Minister for European Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Sia Anagnostopoulou, also joined the meeting. During their meeting, Secretary General Kamel expressed his appreciation to the Minister for the support of his country to the UfM, highlighting the role of Greece as a strong proponent of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, and a country with a rich Mediterranean heritage. Secretary General Kamel also… Lire la suite
13-14 February 2019, Strasbourg. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, participated in the 6th Summit of Presidents of Parliament and the 15th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the UfM (PA-UfM), which took place in Strasbourg on the 13th and 14th February. The annual gathering of the 280 members of the Parliamentary Assembly, that marks the end of the European Parliament’s Presidency of the Bureau, focused its debates on the important topic of “the challenges of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean”. European Parliament’s President Antonio Tajani, as well as EU Commissioner for… Lire la suite
Barcelona, 11 February. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, hosted today a discussion between Josep Borrell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation of Spain, and 15 experts and researchers from different Euro-Mediterranean countries on the state of the region and its perspectives horizon 2030. Organized in collaboration with EuroMeSCo, the main network of research centres on politics and security in the Mediterranean, the round-table debate was moderated by Ambassador Senén Florensa, President of its General Assembly. The discussion was structured around four main issues, namely: the security situation in the MENA region; migration; the social contract in MENA economies; and… Lire la suite
La 3eme réunion des Directeurs Généraux de la Protection Civile de l’Union pour la Méditerranée (UpM) ont lancé le développement d’un plan d’action pour renforcer la coopération euro-méditerranéenne en matière de campagnes de prévention, de réponse aux urgences et de gestion des crises Par le biais d’un mécanisme commun de Protection Civile, les États membres de l’UpM pourraient jouer un rôle clé dans la coordination de réponses communes aux crises et coopérer en matière d’évaluation des risques, de prévention des catastrophes, de préparation et de planification 11 février 2019, Barcelone. Les Directeurs Généraux de la Protection Civile de chaque États-membres… Lire la suite