23 March 2020. The unprecedented situation created by the rapid spread of COVID-19 disease around the world, reminds us that global threats know no borders. Some of the fastest and most concerning outbreaks of cases recorded are now found in some Euro-Mediterranean countries. COVID-19 is caused by a virus that is unique in many ways, and understanding more about it is fundamental to be able to reduce fear and increase proactivity. Despite this, the collective response of our citizens has shown we possess tools of great power, more important than ever: resilience and solidarity. Through this statement, the Union for the… read more
Freshwater availability is likely to decrease by 15% in the coming decades, causing important constraints for agriculture and human use in an area already suffering from water scarcity. The Mediterranean population classified as ‘water-poor’ is expected to increase to over 250 million, within 20 years. The UfM Water Agenda aims to ensure that each and every Euro-Mediterranean country receives the necessary technical, administrative, and financial recommendations to help achieve water security for its population and their economic activities. Barcelona, 17 March 2020. On World Water Day, held under the thematic “Water and Climate change”, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) emphasises the… read more
13 March 2020. In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UfM expresses its intention to collaborate with the health authorities and, in accordance with the recommendations and measures adopted in Spain, the Secretariat of the UfM, based in Barcelona, is reducing its activity and all scheduled events have been postponed to later dates, still to be confirmed. To protect its employees and their families, the UfM Secretariat is adopting teleworking as a general measure starting this Monday 16 of March until further notice. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve in Spain and around the world, the Secretariat remains vigilant… read more
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya, and the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel met today in Madrid to discuss ways to strengthen regional cooperation under the framework of the UfM. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Union for the Mediterranean to promote joint cooperation initiatives in priority sectors for the region linked to the sustainable development agenda. March 11, 2020. Spanish Foreign Minister González Laya and UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel took stock and analysed the future… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the field of women’s access to health. The agreement will promote the engagement of UfM Member States in women’s empowerment, improving women’s access to health and addressing violence against women. Collaboration between the UfM and WHO started in 2016 to promote the project “WORTH – Women’s Right to Health,” which aims to reduce the incidence and mortality of cancers affecting women in Albania, Montenegro and Morocco, through the design and implementation of a comprehensive control strategy for cervical and breast cancer. 5 March… read more
UfM Member States will adopt a regional intergovernmental mechanism to monitor the progress made on women’s rights, evaluate gender gaps and provide recommendations to policymakers. UfM projects and initiatives specifically addressing women’s empowerment and gender equality benefit women in 20 Euro-Mediterranean countries. Within the UfM region, gender parity is estimated at 76.7% in Western Europe and at 61.2% in the Middle East and North Africa, which indicates there is still a long way to go. #EachforEqual #IWD2020 #UfM4Women #Women4Mediterranean Barcelona, 2 March 2020. The Union for the Mediterranean embraces the celebration of the International Women’s Day with the implementation of… read more
With the support of the UfM, the project “Women´s Right to Health” (WoRTH) aims at reducing the incidence and mortality of women’s malignancies (breast and cervical) in Albania, Montenegro and Morocco Among women, breast cancer accounts up to a third of all cancers, followed by cervical and colorectal cancer. General cancer rates are expected to double by 2030, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 4 February 2020, Barcelona. The 4th of February marks the International World Cancer Day, highlighting the need to increase awareness on cancer and encouraging prevention and early screenings. Only… read more
Turtles Uragano and Tempesta- hurricaine and tempest in Italian- were safely returned to the Mediterranean Sea after weeks of care in the recovery center of Manfredonia. Victims of accidental capture, the two loggerhead turtles were freed ahead of the COMMON Project training course on protection of marine endangered species. This first training course and transfer activities within the Plastic Busters MPAs and COMMON Projects was organized by the Università degli Studi di Siena, in area of the master’s degree in ‘Sustainability and Environmental Ecotoxicology’ and lead by expert and teacher Maria Cristina Fossi. The course was hosted by NGO Legambiente, with its Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in… read more
Geneva, 27-28 January 2020. Following UfM’s commitment to contributing to a greater economic integration in the Mediterranean, UfM Secretary General (SG), Nasser Kamel, held bilateral meetings in Geneva with Roberto Azevêdo, Director General of WTO, Mukhisa Kituyi , Secretary General of UNCTAD, Seth Nikhil, Executive Director of UNITAR, and OIga Algayerová, Executive Secretary of UNECE. On his first meeting with Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), SG Kamel provided a background on the trade-related UfM scope of action, which includes the deepening of the South-South economic integration and a strengthening of the Euro-Mediterranean trade partnership, inter alia… read more
The plenary Session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) gathered over 100 representatives of local and regional authorities at the UfM headquarters in Barcelona. The annual meeting of ARLEM centered its debates on action against Climate Change in the Mediterranean Barcelona, 23 January 2020. The 11th Plenary Session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) gathered over 100 representatives of local and regional authorities at the UfM headquarters in Barcelona with climate action at the centre of the debates. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, welcomed participants to the UfM headquarters and recalled the launching, 25 years ago, of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, which laid the foundations for the… read more
