23-24 February 2020 – Deputy Secretary General for Transport and Urban Development Ayşe Asya represented the UfM in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regional workshop organized by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of Slovenia, in cooperation with UNECE, and with the support of the UfM, Housing Europe and UN-Habitat. Deputy Secretary General Asya showcased, in her address, the draft “UfM Housing Action Plan for affordable and sustainable housing, as a vector for inclusive, integrated and sustainable urban development and regeneration”, which was developed under the draft “UfM Strategic Urban Development Action Plan 2040 for sustainable, resilient… read more
10 December 2020. The second meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Sustainable Urban Development took place on 10 December 2020 and saw the recommendation by consensus for the adoption of the UfM Strategic Urban Development Action Plan 2040 for sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities and communities in the Mediterranean and of the UfM Action Plan for Sustainable and Affordable Housing. The meeting concluded with finalised the deliverables of the multi-stakeholder consultative process for the implementation of the “Union for the Mediterranean Urban Agenda”, with the participation of almost 90 representatives from UfM Member States, intergovernmental organizations, universities, NGOs, international financial… read more
13 October 2020. UNESCO reported that 640 historic buildings were damaged in the blast. Around 60 are at risk of collapse. Apart heritage buildings and historic residential architecture, many cultural and educational structures, such as museums and schools, also need extensive restoration. The UfM seeks to contribute to efforts towards promoting the recovery and reconstruction of the built heritage in Beirut. In a coordination meeting on 13 October 2020, UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel stated that Beirut’s built heritage is part and parcel of the Mediterranean identity and heritage. He also said that the UfM has mobilised its convening power to… read more
15 July 2020. The coronavirus has challenged the core of what makes cities vibrant and successful: busy streets full of people. Will these cities ever come back to be the same? The webinar on Euro-Mediterranean cities in the post-pandemic era, organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre reflected on sustainable urban development in the Mediterranean region after COVID-19, climate change, cultural heritage, and on the approach of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape. The event was opened by the UfM Secretary-General, Nasser Kamel, chaired by the Deputy Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Dr Jyoti Hosagrahar, and structured around a conversation with Prof. Richard Sennett, Senior Fellow at the Centre on Capitalism and Society at… read more
The below expert article is provided by the European School of Intermodal Transport. The Barcelona-based school is a specialized training and knowledge transfer centre, which, over the past ten years, has acquired outstanding experience in staff training and capacity building activities related to efficient and sustainable transport solutions. The school is also the promoter of the UfM-labelled project “TransLogMED”, which aims to establish an efficient, interoperable and sustainable transport infrastructure network in the Euro-Mediterranean region. By Lidia Slawinska In recent times a vast number of technological transformations has encompassed the maritime sphere. A recent study (2020) commissioned by the European Commission’s… read more
Around 80 percent of global trade is transported by commercial shipping and intra-Mediterranean maritime trade flows account for nearly 25% of global traffic volume. The maritime industry is playing an essential role in the short-term emergency response to the COVID-19, by facilitating transport of vital commodities and products. Despite the current difficult times, a vast majority of ports have succeeded to stay open to cargo operations. However, most of them still remain closed to passenger traffic. Mid and long-term recovery will need to further enhance sustainability and resilience of the maritime transport sector as a whole, for sustaining jobs, international… read more
29 April 2020. UfM took stock of Covid-19 challenges and best practices in housing at a virtual meeting hosted by the Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, on Wednesday, 29 April 2020. “Exchange of best practices and policy transfers in inclusive, adequate and sustainable housing during this pandemic will also help build resilience, in particular to climate change, in the Mediterranean.” Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing, Leilani Farha, explained that under international human rights law the right to adequate housing covers measures that are needed to prevent homelessness, prohibit forced evictions, address discrimination, focus on the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, ensure security of… read more
GTMO 5+5 Ministers welcomed the leading role of the UfM in the promotion of regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of projects contributing to regional development, stability and integration 12 December 2018, Nouakchott. In the framework of the Ninth Conference of Group of Transport Ministers of the Western Mediterranean (GTMO 5+5) held in Nouakchott (Mauritania) on 11-12 December 2018, the Ministers welcomed the leading role of the UfM in the promotion of regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of projects contributing to regional development, stability and integration, and reaffirmed their desire for continued exchange and cooperation in transport and logistics, with… read more
Access to affordable and sustainable housing is a global challenge growing fast in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Housing is at the core of the New Urban Agenda and is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as to human rights issues, with adequate housing being recognized as part of the right to an adequate standard of living in international instruments. The building stock represents the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with households accounting for 19% of total worldwide energy consumption. When managed effectively, the housing sector can be an important source of social development, economic growth… read more
Leipzig, 24 May 2018. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Side Event “Towards Ensuring Road Safety in the Euro-Mediterranean Region” organized in cooperation with the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the UN Secretary General Special Envoy for Road Safety today in Leipzig on the margins of the ITF Summit 2018, addressed pressing transport safety and security challenges in the region…. read more
