28 May 2021. The 5th meeting of the UfM Task Force on Environment took place yesterday, bringing together country representatives and regional stakeholders of the UfM environment agenda. The virtual meeting was chaired by the UfM European and Jordan Co-Presidency, with the support of the UfM Secretariat. Its main objectives included: Discussing the priorities for action under the 2030 Greener Med Agenda, the new proposed tool for regional integration and collaboration; Exploring the opportunities for partnership and funding related to the 2030 Greener Med Agenda in view of the ongoing programming; Defining the operational modalities of the 2030 GreenerMed Agenda; Showcasing and… read more
Trade accounts for 35% of GDP in the Mediterranean region, and the intra-regional trade market is one of the most important in the world. Today, the first edition of the UfM Progress Report on Regional Integration, commissioned by the UfM, and prepared by the OECD, was presented in an online event along with policy recommendations and an insight on best practice in regional integration from around the world. The report takes stock of the progress that has been made, and highlights two important challenges that still stand: inadequate infrastructure for transport and energy connectivity, and a lack of common vision… read more
27 May 2021. The second meeting of the Regional Dialogue on Women Empowerment Working Group took place yesterday, co-chaired by Tunisia and with the UfM Secretariat as facilitator. The Working Group assesses progress on data gathering for the first ever intergovernmental reporting exercise monitoring progress on gender equality and women empowerment, launched earlier this year. The reporting exercise seeks to gather data on six of the 20 indicators agreed by UfM Member States, which cover four main areas of gender equality: leadership, economic empowerment, violence against women and girls, and gender stereotyping. The results of the exercise will be included… read more
The Mediterranean basin is a recognised biodiversity hotspot, with outstanding flora diversity of 15,000 to 25,000 species, according to a ICUN report. 60% of flora and around one third of fauna in the Mediterranean is endemic, or unique to the region. By 2100, the drop in pH could reach 0.462 and 0.457 units for the western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean, respectively. This acidification has very serious consequences on marine biodiversity, affecting many elements of the living chain. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) set up the 2030 Greener Med Agenda as a collaborative basis for joint solutions to… read more
UfM SG Kamel met with Prima Co-chairs Angelo Riccaboni and Mohamed El-Shinawi, and Prima Director Octavi Quintana to discuss the current state of and future opportunities for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean. The Union for the Mediterranean is developing three new agendas for the future of research and innovation in the Mediterranean, on health, climate change and renewable energy. 18 May 2021. Today, a coordination meeting was held between Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and PRIMA to discuss the state of Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean, ongoing initiatives and future synergies. The UfM structurally supports the PRIMA initiative, with… read more
4 May 2021. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, held an online meeting with PEGASUS founder, chairman & CEO, Craig Cogut, and with Christophe Nuttall, the Executive Director of R20, a not-for-profit international organization that works to create inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon societies by accelerating sub-national infrastructure investments in the green economy with the goal of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Following the development of the Global “Subnational Climate Fund” (SCF), recently approved by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and in accordance with the UfM-R20 cooperation agreement, it has been decided that a similar SCF fund should be… read more
4 May 2021. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, held an online meeting with BNP Paribas Senior Strategic Advisor for Sustainable Business, Pierre Rousseau, and the Executive Director of R20, Christophe Nuttall. R20 is a not-for-profit international organization that works to create inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon societies by accelerating sub-national infrastructure investments in the green economy, with the goal of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They discussed the opportunity to develop the “Subnational Climate Fund” (SCF) recently approved by the Green Climate Fund and managed by Pegasus Capital Advisor. BNP Paribas is custodian and the lead agent for… read more
The first high-level coordination meeting between the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and World Health Organization (WHO) took place on Thursday 28 April. The meeting brought together more than 30 representatives and experts from the UfM and WHO to discuss and explore various avenues for collaboration in order to implement the Joint Action Plan following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties on 5 March 2020. We need to continue exploring other common and horizontal areas of cooperation related to health to find better solutions for the common challenges we face. 28 April 2021. The global pandemic has put… read more
The Mediterranean is one of the regions hardest hit by climate change in the world, with temperatures rising 20% faster here than elsewhere, according to a study by the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC). The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) promotes the Solar Impulse Foundation’s 1000+ solutions to protect the environment in a financially-profitable way. The UfM is partnering with R20 – Regions of Climate Action to deliver the first regional fund specifically supporting climate projects in coastal Mediterranean areas. 22 April 2021. The Mediterranean is one of the areas of Earth most impacted by climate change,… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is seeking opinions on the future of Euro-Mediterranean regional cooperation in the field of research and innovation. The UfM has defined three priority areas for research and innovation cooperation: health, renewable energy, and climate change. Results will be discussed at the UfM Regional Platform in Research and Innovation in June 2021 17 March – 7 May 2021. The UfM Regional Platform in Research and Innovation (R&I) is inviting the opinion, ideas and input of relevant individuals and organisations from across the region to help outline the future of R&I cooperation between the EU and… read more
