The first meeting of the UfM Member States’ Senior Officials of 2023 took place today in Barcelona. In this occasion, the main priorities and strategic orientations for the year were discussed. UfM support for the project Smart DESERT, addressing water scarcity in Jordan while fostering the economic empowerment of the vulnerable local and refugee populations, was also endorsed by granting it the UfM label. 2023 will see a variety of important initiatives taking place: from multiple ministerial meetings and regional conferences to the launch of two grant schemes to fund green jobs and trade-related projects, the presentation of the UfM’s… read more
23-24 February 2023, Bucharest – The UfM Secretary General, in response to an invitation extended by Dr. Raed Arafat, Romanian Secretary of State and Head of the Department for Emergency Situations, attended the EFDRR Roadmap Action-oriented Dialogue: “Understanding and communicating existing and future risks: ensuring evidence-based communication”. This event was co-organised with the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN European and Central Asia office of Disaster Risk Reduction. The EFDRR Roadmap Action-Oriented Dialogue sought to explore diverse experiences and strategies employed by pertinent stakeholders in Europe concerning the establishment of societal resilience through effective risk communication. The ultimate… read more
The new edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) Award seeks to boost once again local communities in the Southern Mediterranean and will held in the framework of the celebrations of the Day of the Mediterranean. #ARLEMaward 22 February 2023. The UfM is supporting once again this year the Young Local Entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean Award, created by Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM). The award is open to young entrepreneurs (under 35 years old), running a company for at least 3 years and based in Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Monaco,… read more
20-21 February 2023, Dubai –The Union for the Mediterranean, together with the Spanish Agency for Cooperation, AECID, have organised a key session in the framework of the Arab Water Convention, the Interactive Session 4 on Design Thinking Challenge (Future Lab). In the event, spokespersons have pitched new and innovative, out-of-the box ideas that could help make non-conventional water resources in the region more financially attractive. The Arab Water Council supported by the League of Arab States and the Union for the Mediterranean have organized its Arab Water Convention, dedicated this year to address the use of Non-Conventional Water Resources (NCWR) as… read more
16-17 February 2023, Barcelona – The UfM Water Task Forces, Water, Environment, Food and Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus, Water Access, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Water, Employment and Migration (WEM) Nexus and Water Climate Change Actions (WCCA) meeting took place on 16 and 17 February 2023 in the Union for the Mediterranean premises in Barcelona. The meeting brought together the leaders of the task forces, strategic partners and UfM countries representatives as well as civil society in order to reflect on the Biannual Work Plans 2023-2024, and next steps towards meeting the objectives determined by the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Water (Malta, April 2017). It… read more
18-19 February 2023, Cairo – The UfM Secretary General received an invitation from the Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council for Economic Development and the Executive Director of ECES to speak at the “COP27 and Beyond” conference. Participating in the panel discussion titled “Collaboration between the South and North of the Mediterranean: Challenges and Opportunities in 2023,” the Secretary General shared the platform with the Former Vice-Prime Minister of Egypt and the Chairman of the World Trading Company. During his intervention, he emphasised the significance of regional integration and near-shoring as drivers for fostering cooperation between the Mediterranean’s two shores…. read more
16 February 2023, Casablanca – UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel was invitated to participate in and address the inaugural Aerospace African Forum, organized by “The Moroccan Aeronautic Industry Association.” The Forum attracted a host of political decision-makers and entrepreneurs, providing a platform to assess the current status of the aeronautic sector in Africa and globally, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. It served as a venue for discussing forthcoming challenges and exploring avenues for cooperation. In line with these objectives, the Secretary General took part in the “Behind the Scenes of Sovereignty” panel, alongside Mr. Hubert Védrine (Former French… read more
The 2nd UfM Ministerial Conference on Transport took place online on 9 February 2023. A new Regional Transport Action Plan was endorsed by the UfM Ministers, that will reinvigorate multilateral cooperation in this sector until 2027 and unlock an important potential in the economic and social development in the region in the years ahead. Transport is a vital “enabler” in sustainable development, with transport-related targets included in eight out of the seventeen SDGs. Transport is also a multiplier in the economic development of any country and an important component of regional integration in the Mediterranean. Barcelona, 9 February 2023. On… read more
7-8 February 2023, Brussels – UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel undertook a series of engagements with key partners of the UfM Secretariat. These interactions included meetings with the EEAS, DG NEAR, the European Council, as well as informal discussions with the Arab Group and the MaMa Group. The Secretary General commenced his visit by participating in a brainstorming session aimed at enhancing the UfM’s actions and the Secretariat’s operations. This session brought together the co-presidency of the UfM. Upon the invitation of the Egyptian Ambassador, who chairs the Arab Group in Brussels, the Secretary General engaged in an informal discussion… read more
Building on the outcomes of the UfM Ministerial Conference on Research and Innovation held in June 2022, the UfM co-organised an event on the ‘International Cooperation in Research and Innovation (R&I) for Mediterranean resilience – Launch of Mediterranean Initiative: Horizon Europe WP 2023-2024’, together with the European Commission and the EU Delegation in Cairo. The Mediterranean Initiative included in the Horizon Europe Work Programme brings new significant opportunities for Mediterranean research stakeholders Cairo, 30-31 January 2023. For the first time ever, the Horizon Europe 2022-2023 programme is foreseeing a “Mediterranean Initiative”. This series of R&I calls, open to Mediterranean countries… read more
