News

28 November 2024, Brussels, Belgium – The 8th meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean’s (UfM) Regional Platform on Trade and Investment took place on 28 November 2024 at the European Commission’s premises. The event brought together senior trade officials from across the region, along with various experts from the European Commission. The meeting opened with speeches by Ms. Mercedes Bonet, Deputy Head of Unit for Southern Neighbours, Middle East, Turkey, Russia, and Central Asia in the Directorate-General for Trade at the European Commission, and Ms. Wafa Jiris, Director at the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply of Jordan, who… read more

25-29 November 2024, Fes, Morocco. From November 25–29, 2024, the city of Fes, Morocco, became a hub of creativity and collaboration as 61 young leaders from 21 UfM Member States gathered for the UfM Med Youth Lab 2024.  The initiative was organized by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), with the support of the German Development Cooperation, in collaboration with the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes (UEMF) and in partnership with Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed). Hosted at the modern UEMF Campus, this five-day initiative empowered participants aged 18–30 to create innovative solutions addressing some of the region’s most pressing… read more

4-5 December 2024, Larnaca. Cyprus. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the European University Cyprus (EUC) signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest, notably in the field of civil protection and disaster risk management. The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Nicosia Risk Forum 2025, held in Larnaca, Cyprus, with UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, and EUC Rector, Professor Andreas Efstathiou, representing their respective institutions. This agreement aims to foster collaboration through initiatives including official visits and expert exchanges, joint projects and consultations, seminars and workshops, the exchange… read more

Matera (Italy) and Tetouan (Morocco) have been named the 2026 Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue, a yearlong distinction that celebrates the cities’ rich cultural heritage and shared Mediterranean vision, by the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation. A first edition of the initiative will kick off in the northern capital of Tirana (Albania) and the southern capital of Alexandria (Egypt) next year with collaborative exchanges, including conferences, sporting events, and cultural performances, that engage both local and Euro-Mediterranean artists and civil society. The online call for applications for the 2027 edition will open in January. The… read more

Barcelona, 25 November 2024 – Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretary General Nasser Kamel took part in the “Diálogos para la Seguridad” event organised by El País in Madrid. The event featured discussions and talks by a number of distinguished speakers on the complex geopolitical and security challenges facing Europe and the Mediterranean region; from the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflict, to irregular migration, radicalization and disinformation. In a dedicated session on the situation in the Mediterranean entitled “Una mirada sobre el Mediterráneo”, the UfM Secretary General shared his assessment of the impact of the ongoing geopolitical crises… read more

13-21 November, Baku, Azerbaijan – The COP29 hosted the Mediterranean Pavilion, an initiative conceived by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)to highlight both the urgent challenges the Mediterranean is currently facing, and the innovative solutions being developed, raising awareness of a region. A highlight of the Pavilion was the presentation by MedECC, an independent network of over 600 Euro-Mediterranean climate and environmental scientists from 35 countries. They shared the latest findings on the impacts of climate and environmental change on coastal zones and the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems nexus. Their research indicates that by 2100, up to 20 million people could be displaced due to sea-level rise. The Mediterranean is… read more

The UfM Secretariat joined hands for the first time with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to tackle key issues related to international investment policymaking tools and challenges. The online workshop is the first step of a structured engagement with UNCTAD that will see further collaboration between both entities going forward. While Investment is critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, the global policy landscape is still largely dominated by old-generation international investment agreements (IIAs) that do not mitigate today’s challenges in areas such as economic stability, environment, and lack sustainable investment facilitation… read more

Barcelona, November 19, 2024 – The Spanish National Organisation for Cooperation and the Social Inclusion of the Disabled (ONCE) unveiled its special Med Day Coupon charity lottery ticket at the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) headquarters in Barcelona, commemorating the collaborative spirit of the Euro-Mediterranean community. This special “Med Day Coupon” edition, launched on November 19, reinforces a shared commitment to inclusion and solidarity for persons with disabilities across the region. The ticket was presented to UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel by Enric Botí, delegate of ONCE in Catalonia. This Med Day Coupon initiative aims to draw attention to the… read more

Today MedECC, the network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change, and the Union for the Mediterranean presented the latest scientific findings on the impacts of climate and environmental change on the region’s coastal zones as well as on the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems nexus at COP29 in Baku. A third of the Mediterranean region’s population lives in close vicinity to the sea, which is among the world’s regions with the highest probability of compound flooding, and is increasingly exposed to hazards resulting from climate change and environmental degradation. The effects of this phenomenon will be exacerbated in years to come unless… read more

UfM Member States and Social Partners convened in Rome to discuss the state-of-play of implementation of the 2022 Marrakech Declaration and prepare for the coming UfM Ministerial taking place in 2025. Several Member States presented best practices and undergoing initiatives aimed at creating more jobs, better job matching, youth employability and women economic empowerment. Rome, 13-14 November 2024. The 17th meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour was held in Rome, Italy over two successive days. The discussion focused on the implementation of the UfM Roadmap 2022-2025 implementing the Declaration of the 5th UfM Ministerial on Employment and Labour (Marrakech, 2022), and priority areas to… read more