The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Nasser Kamel gave a keynote address at the conference entitled “30 years of the Barcelona Process: Towards a New Euro-Mediterranean Policy,” held on 27 January and hosted by the President of the Parliament of Catalonia. The event, co-organized by the Catalan European Movement and the European Institute of the Mediterranean, brought together Members of the European Parliament, as well as experts and speakers from various institutions. In his speech, the UfM Secretary General Kamel recalled that the Barcelona Process was a bold and visionary initiative to transform the Mediterranean region… read more
23 January 2025, Brussels – The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Nasser Kamel visited Brussels on January 22 and 23, where he held meetings with the newly appointed EU HR/VP and UfM Co-President Kaja Kallas, and the Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica. He also addressed the Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood. In their meeting, HR/VP Kallas and SG Kamel discussed the future of the Euro-Mediterranean region ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process. SG Kamel underlined the UfM’s role as the leading multilateral… read more
The UfM participated in the Meeting of the New Regional Programme of Spanish Cooperation with the Arab World: Mas’ar Al’an, hosted by Casa Mediterráneo in Alicante, Spain. The meeting saw a presentation of two UfM Grant Scheme beneficiary projects, namely Get Into Green and Women on the Green Path, both in the phase of implementation, benefitting several UfM Arab Member States. Alicante, 22 January 2025 – The UfM participated in a meeting on 22 January 2025 at Casa Mediterráneo in Alicante with the key actors and stakeholders of Spanish Cooperation in the Arab Countries. This meeting took place within the… read more
22 January 2025. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) have reaffirmed their commitment to transforming agrifood systems in the Mediterranean region by renewing their Memorandum of Understanding. Originally signed in 2021, this partnership has already achieved remarkable progress in contributing to agrifood systems transformation efforts in the Mediterranean, and its renewal reaffirms the partners’ shared ambition to drive further progress on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. A strategic collaboration The Mediterranean region is a microcosm of global agrifood system challenges,… read more
4 December 2024, Marseille – The UfM participated in the HOMERe Conference held in Marseille, France, under the theme “International Mobility as a Driver for Employability and the Professionalisation of Careers.” The event, organised by HOMERe France, gathered stakeholders from various countries across the Euro-Mediterranean region and focused on the role of academic mobility and internships in boosting employability and enhancing career prospects for young people, especially in the context of south-north, north-south, and south-south mobility. The conference highlighted the importance of mobility in improving graduates’ employability. Discussions centred on the challenges and opportunities presented by internships, particularly in strengthening… read more
16 December 2024, online – The UfM Webinar and Workshop on Violence against Women and Girls with a focus on Safety in Public Transports was held online on 16 December 2024, following the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women and Girls. Transport safety and security are inherently gender-sensitive issues. Women’s transport behaviour across all modes is significantly shaped by safety concerns, which are more pronounced than those of men. Studies reveal that the majority of women worldwide feel unsafe on public transport, with many reporting incidents of verbal or physical harassment when using it or moving… read more
19 December 2024, Online – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), co-organized with the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), successfully held a webinar titled Driving Gender-Lens Investment: Unlocking the Potential of Women-Led Social Enterprises in the MENA Region, on 19 December 2024. The Webinar, which had registered 60 participants, was structured into two main segments: the Presentation of Key Findings from an ongoing study on gender-lens investment, and a Panel Discussion featuring a diverse range of stakeholders. The session was designed to offer both insights and actionable recommendations aimed at fostering the growth of women-led enterprises in the region, while also… read more
11 December 2024, Athens. The UfM capacity building on gender equality and climate change event, held on December 11, 2024, in Athens, aimed to address the intersection of gender equality and climate change, focusing on empowering women entrepreneurs in the MENA region to overcome challenges in finance and market access, particularly in green and blue sectors. The event saw participation from around 30 women entrepreneurs in green and blue economy from the MENA region, alongside the trainer, experts, and representatives from Civil Society. It provided a platform for women to engage in practical exercises and discussions, focusing on topics such… read more
11-12 December 2024, Cairo, Egypt – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat, supported by German Development Cooperation, successfully concluded the UfM Seminar on Refugee Entrepreneurship: Addressing Economic Recovery Amidst Conflict on 11-12 December 2024 in Cairo. The seminar convened a diverse group of regional stakeholders to explore the pivotal role of refugee entrepreneurship in stimulating economic growth in both host nations and countries of origin. Discussions centred on effective strategies to empower and support refugee entrepreneurs. In his opening remarks, Said Charna, Senior Economic Advisor at the UfM Secretariat, emphasised the significance of the seminar’s theme and the necessity… read more
The 10th meeting of the UfM Community of Practice on Youth Employment saw the last brushstrokes on a charter that presents a comprehensive framework meant to guide youth employment initiatives in the Southern Mediterranean. Since its first edition in 2018, the UfM Stakeholders Dialogue has become a regular gathering of multiple stakeholders from both shores of the UfM region to discuss best practices and success stories in the fields of job creation, skill development, matching and startup support. Aswan, 15-17 December 2024. The UfM, together with the German Development Cooperation, organized the fourth edition of the UfM Med4Jobs Stakeholders Dialogue… read more
