News

• Youth unemployment in those under 25 years of age is approximately 50% in Spain, where around 22% of young people abandon the school system. • The aim of Second Chance Schools of Spain (E2O) is to construct a recognised national model through an innovative pedagogical approach addressed at unemployed young people without any qualifications. It is already working successfully in other Mediterranean countries under the UfM-labelled project New Chance Mediterranean Network (MedNC). • The Spanish Association of Second Chance Schools (E2O), formed in March this year, met today, in its first national meeting, with more than 150 representatives in… read more

• The Employability in the Mediterranean Conference took place on 14 April in Marseille in the presence of the Minister for Professional Training and Employment of Tunisia, Zied Ladhari, and with the attendance of over 120 participants including Young Mediterranean Leaders and representatives of local, national and international institutions as well as representatives from the Mediterranean private sector. Young beneficiaries of the UfM-labelled project New Chance Mediterranean (MedNC) were also present. • Minister Ladhari said:“There are many synergies between Mediterranean countries on topics concerning unemployment and there are so many interregional actions that can regenerate opportunities for businesses, people, job… read more

• In order to stimulate job creation and foster youth employability in the region, urgent measures need to be taken such as increasing labour demand, improving policies for demand-supply matching and promoting the transition from informal to formal employment, among others. • Fostering youth employment is a key priority for the UfM as it is essential for regional human development, stability and integration. Ministers of Employment from the 43 UfM member States will meet at the 3rd UfM Ministerial Meeting on Employment and Labour on 26 September 2016…. read more

The UfM Secretariat and ANIMA Investment Network launched two Euro-Mediterranean projects aimed at developing investments that contribute to inclusive growth in the Mediterranean. A more effective regional integration is crucial to ensure a better socio-economic future for the region. Broader connectivity, trade and investment, as well as a steadier path towards sustainable development could greatly increase the competitiveness of the whole Euro-Mediterranean region in the global economy…. read more

• The UfM Secretariat, ANIMA, the cooperation platform for economic development in the Mediterranean; and iesMed, the cooperative platform to boost the Mediterranean Social Economy are organising a seminar in Barcelona, on 14 and 15 March 2016, about inclusive investment in the Mediterranean. • The seminar will be based around the launch of two UfM projects – EDILE and EMIPO – two Euro-Mediterranean initiatives aimed at developing investments that contribute to inclusive growth in the Mediterranean…. read more

• HOMERe stakeholders sign a cooperation charter and adopt action plan for 2016-2017 to improve employability prospects of talented postgraduates through internship mobility experiences in transnational companies in the Mediterranean. • Labelled under the Mediterranean Initiative for Jobs (Med4Jobs), the project will be implemented during this pilot phase in nine Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Morocco and Tunisia…. read more

• At their first meeting of 2016, the Senior Officials of the Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) approved four new regional projects in the fields of Inclusive Growth, Sustainable Development and Women’s Empowerment. • The meeting also provided an opportunity for the 43 Member State representatives to highlight the achievements of 2015 with a view to further develop regional cooperation and integration in the Mediterranean within the framework of the UfM…. read more

Following-up on the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Digital Economy, endorsed last September 2014 in Brussels, the UfM Secretariat is working together with key partners to remove the regional barriers in the digital sector…. read more

• The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean attended the 12th Meeting of Foreign Ministers, hosted in Tangier by the Kingdom of Morocco as Co-President of the 5+5 Dialogue. • 100,000 young people are benefiting directly from 16 of the 33 UfM-labelled projects in a region with almost 30% youth unemployment.  • These projects are related to areas such as education and mobility (the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes ); employability (the Med4Jobs initiative); business creation (“Generation Entrepreneur” project), and women’s empowerment, with 10 projects launched and 50,000 beneficiaries.   Barcelona, 8 October 2015. The Foreign Ministers of the “5+5 Dialogue”,… read more

UfM holds the Second Regional Workshop of the Mobile Finance Project to discuss on the effectiveness of alternative financial services distribution models based on mobile finance and branchless banking in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia…. read more