13 December, Madrid – The UfM and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) organized a side-event at the UN Conference COP25 focusing on identifying mitigation and adaptation actions in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries. The session also discussed how to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs’) implementation through supporting community-based mitigation, adaptation and cross-cutting actions. Quote by Cassie Flynn, Strategic Advisor on Climate Change at the Executive Office, UNDP: “transparency and inclusiveness are needed for robust and consistent NDCs”. This side-event also gave an opportunity to present and share experience about possible synergies amongst UfM member countries on how to mobilize… read more
13 December, Madrid. The UfM region is performing well in attracting international public climate finance. Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries have attracted between 12% and 13% of the global international public climate finance commitments each year. However, despite this positive performance, the UfM region still has a margin of progress, as investments in adaptation are only representing approximatively one-third of mitigation commitments. The UfM presented the true-to-life steps to accomplish climate actions, from initiating policies to enhancing climate finance access and action implementation in the margins of the UN conference COP25 in Madrid. Quote by Mr. Mokhtar Hammami, Minister of… read more
Cyprus lies at the meeting point of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa, areas where climate change is expected to take a heavy toll in the coming decades 12 December 2019, Madrid. The Mediterranean region is getting warmer and drier at a faster rate than the global average. In the margins of the UN Conference COP25 in Madrid, the UfM co-organised a side-event with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus to gather scientists and decisionmakers to evaluate the current state and risks related to climate and environmental change. Quote from Grammenos Mastrojeni, Deputy Secretary… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) held the 1st Annual Conference on Water Investment and Financing in the framework of the MED – Mediterranean Dialogues, held in Rome on 5-6 December. With current policies, 250 million people are projected to be considered water-poor by 2025. Through its regional Water Agenda, the UfM seeks to support its Member States in achieving a sustainable and integrated water management while securing financial sustainability for the water sector. The UfM Secretary General today will brief the audience on the main recommendations as well as on the geopolitical implications of climate change. Rome, 6th December 2019. The UfM… read more
The UfM gathers young entrepreneurs who presented their projects and success stories in the tourism sector, even in rural areas. Barcelona, 4 December 2019. More than 30 participants, stakeholders, members of the academia and entrepreneurs from the tourism sector gathered at the Headquarters of the UfM to discuss the sector’s role as a catalyst for job creation on both shores of the Mediterranean, especially for youth and women. The workshop was a follow-up activity of the brainstorming meeting held on sustainable tourism in November 2018. Marisa Farrugia, UfM Deputy Secretary General for Social and Civil Affairs and responsible for the… read more
Nicosia, 2 December 2019. Upon the invitation of Nikos Christodoulides, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, paid his first official visit to Nicosia, in the framework of his outreach to the UfM member states. During their meeting, Secretary General Kamel expressed his appreciation to the Minister for the determination of his Government to continue to play an active and constructive role within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean. On his side, Minister Christodoulides expressed the value and potential he sees in the very promising relationship between Cyprus and the UfM…. read more
The UfM Secretariat gathered representatives from Ministries for Higher Education and Research, regional networks of universities and of students, higher education institutions and research centers. Participants recommended a change of scale in the support mechanisms and to aim for an ambitious higher education initiative embracing the whole UfM region. 1 December, Cairo. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) organized, in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, a regional meeting on higher education regional cooperation on 1 December in Cairo. Building on inputs received through prior consultation, the purpose of the meeting was to initiate reflection… read more
To date, the MedNC programme has given hope to 29,000 young people through its 100 partner centres in 9 countries with programmes focusing on education, training and confidence-building. The UfM is hosting the 2019 MedNC Annual Conference, in order to support an agenda for the region based on employability for the Mediterranean youth. 25-27 November 2019, Barcelona. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is co-organising together with the Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement (IECD) the 2019 Mediterranean New Chance (MedNC) Annual Conference, to be held back to back with the 12th MedNC Steering Committee, which is taking place… read more
Marseille, 26 November 2019. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Mr Nasser Kamel, participated today in Act III of the conference “ Mediterranean of the Future”, organised by the Région Sud under the patronage of the French Prime Minister, Mr Édouard Philippe. After an Act I (21 November 2017) on the theme of climate, and an Act II (13 November 2018) on the theme of youth, the third edition of this meeting designates investment as its theme. The event brought together, in addition to various ministers from around the Mediterranean region, investors and project leaders who are… read more
27 November 2019, Barcelona. On the occasion of the 2019 MedNC Annual Conference, held at the UfM’s Headquarters in Barcelona (Spain), the UfM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institut européen de coopération et de développement (IECD), promoter of the UfM-labelled regional project Mediterranean New Chance (MedNC), and the consortium led by The WonderPick Limited. Following a previous agreement signed on 17 October 2019, the purpose of this MoU is to facilitate collaboration by and among the UfM Secretariat, IECD and The Consortium for the financing and implementation of the MedNC project. In line with this, the Consortium,… read more
