Madrid, 26 June 2019. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, participated in the Concordia Europe AmCham Summit in Madrid, moderating a round table session on relations among the MENA region countries, the U.S., and Europe aiming to assess the potential of such trilateral cooperation in a rapidly changing global landscape. In his introductory speech, SG Kamel highlighted that “cooperation and joint action remain indispensable”, especially when dealing with such issues as “sustainable economic development”, a challenge “critical to tackle the root causes of many modern time difficulties that we encounter today”. The panel included Alfonso Bosch, CEO of Equatorial Coca-Cola… read more
28 June 2019, Sofia. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, participated today in the 40th Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), held in Sofia at the end of the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office of that regional organization. Secretary General Kamel highlighted the important role of cooperation platforms in addressing regional challenges, through the definition of a common agenda and by creating a multiplier factor that allows for better projects and bigger positive impacts to be achieved. At this regard, the Secretary General reiterated that the objective… read more
The “Summit of the Two Shores” brings together the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the ten countries of the Western Mediterranean and Germany as well as the Heads of the main International and Regional Organisations active in the Mediterranean area. The event features a pragmatic socio-political exchange with prominent civil society representatives. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) actively participates in the Summit to promote a comprehensive view of the Mediterranean and put forward the insights and project ideas of the youth and civil society from all the Euro-Mediterranean countries. Following the preparatory thematic fora held in various cities of… read more
14 June 2019, Valletta. The 6th South EU Summit -also referred to as Southern EU Countries Summit-, which was hosted in Malta’s capital city of Valletta, underlined the need for multilateral efforts for a positive Mediterranean agenda based on human and sustainable development. The final declaration highlighted the role of the UfM as a key partner to “promote dialogue and convert challenges into opportunities” as well as achieve “a peaceful, stable and prosperous Mediterranean region”. The South EU Summit gathered heads of State of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and the hosting nation, Malta, and picked up from where the… read more
13 June 2019, Barcelona. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, received today in the UfM headquarters in Barcelona the High Representative of the United Nations for the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Miguel Ángel Moratinos. UNAOC is mentioned in the Paris Declaration of 2008, that established the UfM, as an important institution for the development of the Cultural dimension of Euro-Mediterranean relations. The UfM is a member of the Group of Friends of the UNAOC and the two institutions have already cooperated in a number of joint initiatives, namely the High Level meeting on Intercultural… read more
The Legacy event: ‘EU Med means Business – Shaping the future of entrepreneurship in the South’ focused on unleashing entrepreneurial potential, as well as growing and retaining talent in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, in the presence and with the active participation of young entrepreneurs and relative stakeholders. UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel stressed the importance of entrepreneurship to unlocking the creative potential of younger people and encouraging smart and creative solutions and business models that are functional, sustainable and resilient Brussels, 21-22 May 2019. The UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel has participated in the Legacy event: ‘EU Med means Business -… read more
On the occasion of the 2nd World Conference on the Revitalization of the Mediterranean Diet in Palermo, the UfM met with CIHEAM and FAO to partner in support to a new platform on sustainable food systems in the region Within the conference, UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, participated in the session “A Mediterranean Contribution on Environment and Sustainable Co-Development to the Summit of the Two Shores”, to which the UfM is contributing with a UfM Regional Dialogue Forum in Barcelona Palermo, 15-17 May 2019. The Conference, organised by CIHEAM Bari and the Forum on Mediterranean Food Cultures and under the… read more
The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Managing Authority of the ENI (European Neighbourhood Instrument) CBC Med Programme signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote economic and social development and to address common environmental challenges in the Mediterranean region by strengthening the impact of regional projects and capitalization activities. Barcelona, 10 April 2019. The UfM Secretariat and the Managing Authority of the ENI CBC Med Programme signed today a strategic cooperation agreement during the visit of Christian Danielsson, Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, to the UfM headquarters, in Barcelona. The… read more
Beirut, Lebanon, 8 April 2019. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, has paid his first visit to the Republic of Lebanon, in the framework of his outreach to the member states. He was received by the Prime Minister, Saad Hariri. During their meeting, Secretary General Kamel highlighted the central role of Lebanon in Euro-Mediterranean relations and its rich Mediterranean heritage. The visit to Lebanon was also the also the opportunity for the Secretary General to intervene at the inauguration of the 7th Beirut Water Week, organized by the Ministry of Water and Energy of the Republic of Lebanon with the support… read more
Cascais, 2 April 2019. A UfM Ministerial Policy Conference titled “Job, Skills and Opportunities for All”, took place on 2 April in Cascais (Portugal) as part of the 4th UfM Ministerial Conference on Employment and Labour. The Conference provided the opportunity to discuss the most pressing labour market’s needs, in particular the persistent inequality in the access to jobs mostly for women and young people. The World Economic Forum’s Human Capital Index indicates that the MENA region currently captures only 62% of its full human capital potential, which translates to a great margin for improvement if the bottlenecks of informality,… read more