The 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Conference on the Socioeconomic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities took place on January 23 and 24 in Amman, with participants discussing the launch of the Euro-Med Agenda by the end of this year to address the underlying causes of discrimination against people with disabilities and set the preconditions for more inclusive policy responses. Attendees discussed the results of the First Situational Assessment of the Social and Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, identified obstacles and opportunities, and highlighted good practices and priority areas in an outcome document that will be presented before the United Nations… read more
The 3-hour online workshop, co-organised by the UfM’s Social and Civil Affairs and Higher Education and Research divisions, saw more than 100 online participants discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in universities and STEM. Key sessions focused on the importance of GEPs in universities, emphasising their pivotal role in securing funding and fostering inclusivity in academia. The workshop facilitated dialogue on developing effective GEPs and tailoring them to the Mediterranean context. 12 December 2023 – The Union for the Mediterranean’s Social and Civil Affairs and Higher Education and Research divisions co-organised a 3-hour online workshop on Gender… read more
The Women in Fintech: Bridging the Gender Gap webinar, organised by UfM with the support of GIZ, was held on November 30, 2023, allowing 40 online participants to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in this field. The event served as a platform for comprehensive exchange on key aspects of the fintech landscape. The facilitator and participants discussed the evolution of fintech, the management of fintech start-ups, risks, regulations, ethics, governance, and an action plan on gender-lens in fintech for the Mediterranean Region. November 30, 2023 – The Women in Fintech: Bridging the Gender Gap webinar brought together 40… read more
Barcelona, November 28, 2023. The Spanish National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE) unveiled its Day of the Mediterranean-themed charity lottery ticket at the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) headquarters in Barcelona. Five million tickets, known as ‘cupones’ in Spanish, will be printed with the phrase ‘Find the Mediterranean in your city’ to mark the day. The ticket was presented to UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel by Patricia Sanz, third Vice-president of the General Council of ONCE. The Day of the Mediterranean, November 28, is an annual opportunity to promote intercultural exchanges, celebrate cooperation, embrace diversity and strengthen ties between both… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), within the framework of the 3rd edition of the Mediterranean Youth Academy, hosted an Event on Youth Engagement for a Sustainable Mediterranean for leaders, international and civil society organisations, and youths, which took place in Barcelona between the 6 to 9 November 2023. A hundred young people from some 20 Euro-Mediterranean countries discussed how to increase youth involvement in the green and digital transitions, the workforce and decision-making bodies. Participants endorsed the 2030 UfM Youth Agenda: Call for Action, a set of 12 proposals and recommendations for public and private institutions aimed at strengthening… read more
18-19 October 2023, Valencia – The Fourth UfM meeting of Civil Protection Directors-General of the Member States this week in Spain brought together a hundred officials from across the Euro-Mediterranean region to discuss the logistics of improving regional disaster risk management cooperation. Participants exchanged ideas surrounding the creation of a Mediterranean Framework on Civil Protection, a voluntary platform which will translate the technical discussions of the UfM Regional Dialogue Platform on Civil Protection into efficient on the ground activities. Many view these as necessary given the context of increasingly complex disasters, such as earthquakes or extreme weather events, that are… read more
Taking place for the 7th time, the UfM Women Business Forum is a yearly regional platform that offers female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses a unique opportunity to take their businesses to the next level. In these last four editions, the UfM Women Business Forum has benefited from successful cooperation with UNIDO. The entrepreneurial gender disparity in the MENA region remains extreme as only 5% of businesses are led by women compared to the global average of between 23% and 26%. These numbers show the immense potential for growth as well as the evident need for change This year, the Women… read more
The Workshop on Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Development, co-organized by UfM and Womenpreneur-Initiative, and supported by GIZ, was held online on July 11th from 9h30AM – 12h30PM CEST. The workshop was attended by 60 female entrepreneurs from the Euro-Mediterranean region working in diverse industries and start-ups. The Expert trainer, Mr Ismail Zohdy. covered the knowledge and skills necessary to develop, test, and validate product ideas using the Minimum Viable Product approach. By the end of the workshop, through working with a cross-functional team, participants gained practical tools and techniques which could be applied to their product development projects. 11 July… read more
In the framework of the #EUGreenWeek 2023, the UfM, FAO, CIHEAM, and PRIMA co-organised a webinar on “Women as key players in greening Mediterranean food systems: drivers and challenges” on the 5th of June 2023 from 14h to 16h. The webinar aimed to provide a space to discuss how we can tackle the significant gender gaps and empower women in building resilient and inclusive food systems in the Mediterranean region. Representatives from diverse backgrounds such as governments, agri-food enterprises, successful women entrepreneurs, researchers, international organisations, and civil society participated sharing good practices and discussing solutions for a gender inclusive green… read more
The “Prevention, Preparedness and Response to natural and man-made Disasters” (PPRD) Mediterranean programme was launched today in Rome, only a few weeks after fatal floods claimed more than a dozen lives, displaced over 20,000 people, and caused extensive damage to thousands of homes and acres of cropland in the Emilia-Romagna region. The programme aims to increase the resilience to natural and man-made disasters in the Southern Neighbourhood countries and the Mediterranean region by reinforcing cooperation and partnerships between the EU and Mediterranean countries under the umbrella of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). With a budget of 3M euros, this… read more