The Ministers of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in charge of Energy gathered for their Third Ministerial Conference on Energy in Lisbon on 14 June 2021. Energy Ministers from the 42 UfM Member States met to discuss regional cooperation towards energy security and a low-carbon transition. With a population of over 500 million inhabitants and growing, it is estimated that energy demand in the region will increase by more than 50% by 2040. Ministers adopted a new Ministerial Declaration, which will be developed into concrete action plans by the three UfM Energy Platforms, which act as fora for dialogue… read more
7 June 2021, Barcelona. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel and Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Arancha González Laya met today in the headquarters of the UfM in Barcelona to discuss regional integration and cooperation in the Mediterranean, as well as the preparations of the next UfM Regional Forum, that will gather the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the UfM Member States in Barcelona by the end of this year. The Forum will provide the opportunity to take stock and analyse the future prospects for cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region and will take place in the framework of the first Day of the Mediterranean…. read more
World Environment Day 2021 focuses on the theme of ecosystem restoration, aiming to prevent, halt and reverse the damage done to natural habitats. Restoration and other natural solutions can deliver one third of the mitigation needed by 2030 to keep global warming below 2C, while helping societies and economies adapt to climate change and preventing species extinction. The UfM recognises the need for healthy ecosystems in order to enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change and stop biodiversity loss. 4 June 2021. World Environment Day aims to engage governments, businesses and citizens in an effort to address pressing environmental issues, and… read more
With 40% of the population under the age of 25 in some areas of the Mediterranean, youth unemployment and under-employment in the region has been among the highest in the world for more than two decades. Unemployment is highest amongst those with tertiary education (as opposed to those without) reaching an average of 30% across the region According to 32% of enterprises, one reason for this is the skills mismatch, indicating that Higher Education needs to be at the centre of regional development. 1 June 2021, Barcelona and Marseille. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Centre for Mediterranean Integration… read more
3-4 June 2021, Patras.UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel held a bilateral meeting with the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Miltiades Varvitsiotis, in view of reinforcing cooperation and synergies between the UfM Secretariat and the Hellenic Republic. The meeting took place in the margin of the 9th Regional Growth Conference.The Regional Growth Conference (RGC) in Patras, a public platform for dialogue between governmental, regional, academic and business representatives. Its main goal is to address challenges, best practices and policies promoted by European Institutions that need to be implemented in the Regional Development in an effort to bring forward the… read more
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
