IUCN World Conservation Congress, organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature has been held from 3rd until 10th of September in Marseille. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, participated in the launch of the Action Plan for an Exemplary Mediterranean Sea. Marseille, 10 September 2021. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel intervened at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, that was organised by the IUCN from 3rd until 10th of September. The Congress provided an opportunity for the Mediterranean conservation community to address the challenges of the region on biodiversity, nature-based recovery and climate change. France took this… read more
1 and 13 September 2021 – When academia, industry and policy makers work together, universities can become powerful engines for knowledge, employment and innovation. The benefit of such partnerships has long been obvious for academia: external research funding, significant inputs to keep curricula updated, the possibility of generating solutions for pressing global challenges and legitimacy – especially as academia is experiencing mounting societal pressure to contribute to economic growth. Today, new types of industry-university partnerships have emerged going far beyond the traditional research partnerships. This course will look at strategic partnerships through the lens of the “Triple Helix” framework, examining the… read more
30 July 2021, Rome. UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel addressed the Ministers of Culture of the Group of 20 (G20) today at the G20 Culture Summit in Rome, Italy. This meeting paved the way for a new G20 Ministerial Declaration on Culture to which the UfM contributed. Speaking at the panel “Addressing the Climate Crisis through Culture”, focusing on cultural heritage, creativity and indigenous people’s knowledge on climate action, mitigation and adaptation, Secretary General Kamel highlighted the Mediterranean experience of human adaptability to climate and sustainable usage of natural resources, while preserving biodiversity. He also stressed the need to raise… read more
28 July 2021, Rome. UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel intervened today at the United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit, held on26-28 July at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Under the leadership of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and in partnership with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, this hybrid event aimed to set the scene for the Food Systems Summit in September. During the Pre-Summit, Secretary General Kamel spoke on the panel “Steering the Food System Summit Towards Full Integration of Blue Foods for Health, Wealth and Ecological Recovery”, co-organized by the FAO Secretariat, the… read more
28 July 2021, Rome. UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel and Italian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Marina Sereni met in Rome today to discuss Italy’s ongoing collaboration in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and development. The meeting, which focused on the strategic importance of the Mediterranean for the future of Europe, highlighted Italy’s work not only within its mandate as a UfM member but also in the implementation of the EU New Agenda for the Mediterranean, its Economic and Investment Plan, and the external dimension of the EU Green Deal. Topics such as Blue Economy, the UfM’s upcoming Environment and… read more
ADEME and its partners, Union for the Mediterranean and Plan Bleu, awarded the Mediterranean Climate Change Adaptation Awards at the “Mediterranean Climate Change Adaptation: experience and good practices” conference today, July 27th 2021. The event’s Big Winner was Algeria’s National Sanitation Office for its innovative water treatment plant with filters in the Tamacine area. 27 July 2021. The Mediterranean region is at high risk from climate change, according to the First Mediterranean Assessment Report prepared by the independent network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC) By the end of the century, the average temperature in the Mediterranean should rise… read more
The UfM Secretariat, with the support of the German Development Cooperation, fulfills the call of the UfM Trade Ministers on their 11th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Trade Ministers Conference of 10 November 2020 on the organization of trainings and technical assistance for ministries, customs authorities and businesses on the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention of Rules of Origin, in order to enhance the capacities of those actors and thereby increase the benefits of the respective trade agreements.” 29 July 2021. The UfM Secretariat, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Egypt and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)… read more
16 July 2021, Barcelona. UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel and European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix met virtually to discuss the UfM-EIB strategic partnership for the development of the Mediterranean area. The EIB is a very active partner in the region, contributing with advice and financing to significant investment programs. The meeting, which touched upon strengthening resilience and building prosperity in the region through digital and green transitions, focused on promoting climate resilience, and energy and environmental sustainability. The Secretary General and Vice-President Mourinho Félix discussed environmental and climate action, as well as the topics of Blue Economy investment… read more
14 July 2021. The Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) convened by videoconference in a meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Trade and Investment (formerly known as the UfM Trade Senior Officials Meeting), chaired by teh UfM Co-Presidency of the European Commission and Jordan. The meeting followed up on the 11th UfM Trade Ministers Conference held in November 2020, and agreed a Work Programme for the coming period focused around three main pillars: Sustainable Trade: participants reviewed the EU Trade Policy Review, the main findings of a study for an ex-post evaluation of the trade… read more
12 July, Barcelona. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretary General Nasser Kamel met with the President of the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI), Prof. Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry, to reaffirm the UfM’s commitment to the institution. EMUNI conducts accredited study programmes and quality research serving Euro-Mediterranean interests and addressing regional challenges, as well as contributing to a dynamic network of higher education and research institutions as an inclusive platform for inter-cultural dialogue and science diplomacy in the region. Prof. El-Zoheiry also met the UfM Higher Education and Research Division team to discuss the implementation of the UfM’s commitments to the University. In particular,… read more