News

Over 700 experts, policymakers and representatives from the private sector, the civil society and international organizations are gathering virtually this week to discuss the state of gender equality in the Mediterranean region in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 5th UfM Women4Mediterranean Conference kicked-off yesterday with the launch of the first-ever Intergovernmental Monitoring Mechanism on Gender Equality in a meeting of the UfM Member States. This new reporting exercise will allow to measure and report the progress made on women’s rights and provide policy recommendations to close the gender gap in the region. Barcelona, 17 November, 2020. The UfM Secretariat… read more

· The emergency situations the Euro-Mediterranean region faces are common and have cross-border implications, which require a joint effort and a common agenda on disaster risk management at regional and sub-regional levels. · Since the general public plays an important role in risk prevention and preparedness for emergencies, citizens can be the first responders to disasters. The involvement of citizens in disaster risk management is a key factor to save lives, particularly for vulnerable groups. · Investing in youth and trained volunteers as a driving force for community service are crucial elements to build solidarity and resilience among societies. Digital… read more

With COVID-19 still spreading, and with regional inequalities rising, we have a responsibility to collaboratively tackle gender equality, economic empowerment and climate change. Evidence shows that in the pandemic, women’s livelihoods are more vulnerable to unemployment and economic instability. As we recover from this pandemic, we must leverage the opportunity to create new inclusive societies that ensure that young people and women can fulfil their potential as catalysts of change and contributors to the region’s economy as a whole. ‎ 8 October 2020.  The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities. The impacts of crises are never gender neutral, and COVID-19… read more

The ever-growing tourism sector is facing a current decline of 60%, a number which could potentially increase to 80% if recovery is delayed until December 2020, according to the OECD. The worst affected countries during the COVID-19 crisis have been those positioned on both shores of the Mediterranean Sea, accounting for a third of the income of international tourism. 2 October 2020. Tourism being one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is more than ever required to adapt to the new normality. Which solutions is the sector offering to ensure a safe and accessible tourism for all… read more

VIENNA, September 21, 2020 – The Principality of Monaco has recently signed its first funding agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the two parties have agreed a tripartite declaration together with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) on empowering women in Tunisia through inclusive and sustainable industrial development. At a meeting today LI Yong, Director General of UNIDO, and Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of External Relations and Cooperation of the Principality of Monaco, confirmed the strong willingness of the partners to collaborate further in this field. Li recalled that “the empowerment of women is a… read more

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Member States endorsed a regional intergovernmental mechanism that will provide data for scientific-based policies and support the implementation of gender-related Sustainable Development Goals to ultimately tap into the full potential of women in the Euro-Mediterranean region.  Barcelona, 30 July 2020. The UfM Member States endorsed an intergovernmental set of indicators as part of a UfM Ministerial follow-up mechanism that will allow to monitor the progress made on gender equality in the Euro-Mediterranean region. This mechanism has been developed as a follow-up to the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society, adopted in 2017 in Cairo.    Following consultations with the Member States, the UfM Secretariat had proposed and designed a set of 20 gender indicators within the following 4 priority areas, in addition to a proposal of tools… read more

15-17 July 2020.  Women have not benefitted equality from industrial and technological development and have been profoundly tested by the Covid-19 health crisis, where women-led businesses have been specially hit. Half of the women-led enterprises in the Euro-Mediterranean region have had to suspend all activity. To focus on these challenges, the UfM partnered with UNIDO for the conference Women in Industry and Innovation – Building women‘s resilience to global challenges and emerging crises which took place online on 15-17 July 2020, gathering over 1600 users. The conference addressed how to improve resilience along value chains, realising emerging opportunities through ICTs… read more

The first UfM webinar gathered different youth representatives  to highlight the Euro-Mediterranean Youth voluntary response during the Coronavirus  crisis 14 May 2020. How are youth volunteers responding to COVID-19? How are local or regional organisations in the Euro-Mediterranean region mobilizing youth to respond to the pandemic? To answer these questions and many more, the UfM gathered different youth voluntary organisers including international, regional and local organisations and NGOs from the ufM Member States. The webinar called “the Euro-Mediterranean Youth voluntary response to the COVID-19 crisis” saw the opening of the UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel who stressed the fact that… read more

The UfM Secretariat and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development discussed with EU mayors and other local and regional authorities the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.  17 April 2020. The UfM Secretariat participated in an online discussion organised by PLATFORMA, the pan-European coalition of towns and regions, along with their national, EU and global associations that are also active in city-to-city and region-to-region development cooperation.  This online meeting was held to discuss the actions of the EU and the local governments, municipalities and regions to address the challenges presented by COVID-19, as they represent some of the main authorities acting on the… read more

The Union for the Mediterranean signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the field of women’s access to health. The agreement will promote the engagement of UfM Member States in women’s empowerment, improving women’s access to health and addressing violence against women. Collaboration between the UfM and WHO started in 2016 to promote the project “WORTH – Women’s Right to Health,” which aims to reduce the incidence and mortality of cancers affecting women in Albania, Montenegro and Morocco, through the design and implementation of a comprehensive control strategy for cervical and breast cancer. 5 March… read more