Cairo, 7 December 2020. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel signed today December 7th, 2020, in Cairo, a Memorandum of Understanding for institutional cooperation (MOU) on behalf of the Secretariat with the Prince Muhammad Bin Fahd International Foundation, represented by its Executive Manager, Zaidan Ali Al-Zaidan and the Arab Voluntary Union represented by its President, Hassan Mohammed Buhazza. The signing of the MoU comes at a timely moment within the context of the celebration of the International Volunteer Day and in the perspective to enhance the UfM engagement in favour of Youth Voluntary actions in the coming years. This MOU establishes… read more
Ljubljana 30 November 2020 – The UfM SG, Nasser Kamel, took part today in online Slovenia’s Innovation Day 2020 “Symptoms of creativity”, organized jointly by the Creative Forum (MfA of Slovenia) and the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Addressing the Leaders’ Panel: From Unplanned Spill-overs to Deliberate Cross-overs, along with high level speakers, namely Ministers and representatives of International Organisations, Nasser Kamel highlighted the importance of Creative industries as driving force for economic growth in normal times and economic recovery in the event of a crisis like the ongoing pandemic crisis as well as catalyst for social welfare and well-being…. read more
The Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) declared 28 November as the ‘Day of the Mediterranean’, to be observed from now on each year with a view to fostering a common Mediterranean identity while promoting intercultural exchanges and embracing the diversity of the region. #MediterraneanDay Barcelona, 28 November 2020. The 42 UfM Member States declared the ‘International Day of the Mediterranean’ at the fifth edition of the UfM Regional Forum, which was a special one as it happened 25 years after the launch of the Barcelona Process. Coinciding with the anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration of 1995, which laid the… read more
The fifth edition of the UfM Regional Forum commemorated the launch of the Barcelona Process in 1995 as Foreign Affairs Ministers from UfM Member States gathered virtually today. UfM Member States declared 28 November as the ‘International Day of the Mediterranean’, to be observed from now on each year with a view to fostering a common Mediterranean identity while promoting intercultural exchanges and embracing the diversity of the region. UfM Ministers took stock of the progress achieved to date and discussed the way forward to build inclusive and resilient societies, especially taking into account the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and its… read more
Barcelona, 25 November 2020. According to recent data (UN Women, 2020), 243 Million women and girls aged 15-49 have been subjected to sexual and/or physical violence worldwide by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months. Rooted in structural gender inequalities, violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a violation of human rights and a form of gender-based discrimination. Estimates of the scale of the problem are alarming. Such violence has a major and long-lasting impact on victims and imposes a significant cost burden on society. On top of that, VAWG tends to increase during every type of emergency, including… read more
Barcelona, 19 November 2020 – The UfM Secretariat organised today a Webinar on how the challenges posed by the acceleration of digital transformation in higher education due to the covid-19 pandemic can be transformed into opportunities for the improvement of the quality and inclusiveness of teaching. Eight speakers, representing the diversity of stakeholders concerned by the undergoing changes – students, teachers, higher education leaders and policymakers – shared their experiences and their point of view on how the current situation might have an impact in the long run: Kostis Giannidis, President of Erasmus Student Network; Veronica Mobilio, Policy Officer at… read more
Photo: 4th Regional Forum (2019) Barcelona, 19 November 2020 – On the occasion of a phone call, Nasser Kamel, UfM Secretary General, and Sabri Boukadoum, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, had an exchange on the state of preparation for the Fifth UfM Regional Forum and the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Barcelona Process, to be commemorated on 25-27 November 2020. The state of play of the cooperation between Algeria and the UfM Secretariat as well as the prospects of its reinforcement were also discussed by both sides. In this framework, Nasser Kamel stressed the pivotal role of Algeria in… read more
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
Over 300 experts, policymakers and representatives from the private sector, the civil society and international organizations today gathered online at the “UfM Trade and Investment Forum” to discuss trade, investment and employment opportunities in the Mediterranean region in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum was preceded by a Ministerial Meeting of the UfM Trade Ministers on 10 November. See Joint Ministerial Statement. Germany announced its support to finance the creation of a UfM Hub for Jobs, Trade and Investment Promotion in order to promote trade opportunities and contribute to facilitate access to finance, mobilize investments and strengthen regional value… read more
The 42 member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) convened today by videoconference for the 11th Trade Ministerial Conference to launch three new trade and investment initiatives. They also called for the strengthening of trade ties in the Euro-Mediterranean area as a crucial element for the regional economic recovery. 10 November 2020. The UfM Trade Ministerial Conference stressed the importance of ensuring that Mediterranean partners can take full advantage of opening markets. The newly launched trade and investment initiatives supported by the EU and implemented by partner organisations – the International Trade Centre, the International Labour Organization and… read more