Barcelona, 10 June 2026, Barcelona – The Union for the Mediterranean held its Senior Officials Meeting today in Barcelona, bringing together senior representatives from its 43 Member States under the Co-Presidency of the European Union and Jordan. The meeting served as a formal occasion to bid farewell to outgoing Secretary General Nasser Kamel after eight years of service, an occasion marked by the participation of José Manuel Albares, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain. Delivering his final address as Secretary General, Nasser Kamel offered a candid assessment of both the organisation’s achievements and the challenges that… read more
Paris, 4 June 2026 – Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretary General Nasser Kamel met with UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, marking the beginning of a new phase of strategic cooperation between the two organisations. Against a backdrop of growing challenges and transformations across the Mediterranean, they agreed on a structured partnership, capable of delivering greater impact for people and peace across the Mediterranean region. The meeting confirmed the strong convergence between UNESCO’s global mandate and the UfM’s regional priorities, particularly in higher education, science, research and heritage. Both leaders underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation to advance… read more
2 June 2026, Brussels. The Union for the Mediterranean’s newly appointed Deputy Secretaries General met today with European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica in Brussels, reaffirming their shared commitment to a stronger Mediterranean through enhanced regional cooperation and the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean. The meeting took place as the UfM embarks on an ambitious reform agenda, with a new leadership team now in place to strengthen the organisation’s impact, delivery capacity and regional role. Discussions underlined the complementarity between the Pact for the Mediterranean and the UfM Vision Statement, both of which aim to advance a more… read more
A Conference held in Berlin today introduced business leaders and representatives of the Private Sector from Germany and the Region to the current realities of economic integration and the opportunities that deeper integration would offer in strategic economic sectors across the region. In the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the second UfM Progress Report on Regional Integration that took place in Barcelona on 12 September 2025, the German Development Cooperation expressed its interest in disseminating the findings and the recommendations of the Report to the German Private Sector as a first step to be followed by further activities to… read more
The high-level dialogue that brought together the UfM, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and representatives from the European Union aimed at aligning development and investment agendas, identifying opportunities for partnership, and translating policy recommendations into action. The UfM region remains to be one of the most economically fragmented regions in the world with trade and investment flows profoundly skewed, interconnectivity potential yet to be unlocked, and mobility of people curtailed by several obstacles. Brussels, 11 February 2026 – Successive disruptions over the last few years have demonstrated the extent to which… read more
The 2nd UfM Progress Report on Regional Integration, published in collaboration with the OECD and supported by the German Development Cooperation, was presented today in Barcelona. The data-driven report provides insights on the state of Euro-Mediterranean economic interconnectedness as well as actionable policy recommendations. Although trade flows among UfM Member States accounted for 30% of all global exports in 2022, the Euro-Mediterranean market is still highly fragmented. While foreign direct investment has remained broadly resilient, in many countries it is surpassed by remittances. The region now hosts close to 80% more intra-UfM migrants than in 1990, the majority of which… read more
Rabat, 11 September 2025. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, delivered the keynote address at the Retreat on the Future of Euro-Mediterranean Relations, hosted by Morocco. The high-level meeting brought together political leaders, senior officials and think tanks to reflect on regional cooperation ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process this November. Secretary General Kamel warned that the region is at a crossroads of global tensions and urged a coordinated response. He outlined five priorities for the years ahead: bridging economic gaps, addressing youth and migration challenges, accelerating the green and digital… read more
14 July 2025, Dubrovnik. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, took part in the Dubrovnik Forum held on 11 July 2025 in Croatia. He joined the panel discussion titled “Connecting Economies, Empowering People: The New Pact for the Mediterranean”, alongside Dubravka Šuica, European Commission Commissioner for the Mediterranean; Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council; Ante Šušnjar, Minister of Economy of Croatia; Marko Štucin, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and Maja Markovčić Kostelac, Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency. The session focused on strengthening regional cooperation, advancing… read more
9 July 2025, Barcelona. Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretary General Nasser Kamel today welcomed European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, for a working visit to the UfM headquarters in Barcelona. The meeting served to deepen collaboration between the UfM and the European Commission and to further align efforts in promoting a shared Mediterranean agenda. Discussions centred on the forthcoming new UfM strategy and the EU Pact for the Mediterranean. Secretary General Kamel expressed appreciation for the European Commission’s continued support, highlighting the EU’s vital role in enabling the UfM to deliver concrete results in political dialogue, policy coordination,… read more
Brussels, 8 July 2025. Senior Officials from the Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) gathered today in Brussels for a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) focused on advancing the organisation’s new strategic framework for the coming years. The new UfM strategy is expected to be formally adopted in November 2025 during the UfM Regional Forum in Barcelona, where Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Union for the Mediterranean will convene to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, a landmark initiative for structured Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. During the meeting, Member States also discussed the EU Pact for the Mediterranean. Senior Officials underlined the importance of… read more
