The region will be facing a 98% increase in energy demand by 2040. The challenge ahead lies in attracting energy investment to reinforce the transition towards a sustainable and resilient economy. The UfM Member States have to date endorsed three specific projects on renewable energy production and professional training, aiming to mobilise €1 billion worth of investment in the region. The first Energy Business Forum, organised by the UfM to foster cooperation and dialogue amongst Mediterranean countries, will take place next 18 October in Cairo…. read more
Berlin, 5 October 2017. With this joint declaration the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) enter into a stronger partnership that seeks to push forward regional integration, support the creation of a wide range of employment opportunities, in particular for young women and men, and boost trade within the region and beyond. To achieve these goals, the BMZ will support the UfM Secretariat with a €2 million advisory project for the years 2017-2019. “We must put greater emphasis again on viewing the Mediterranean as an area of cooperation…. read more
Nice, 30 September 2017. UfM Deputy Secretary General Amb. Ihab Fahmy participated as keynote speaker in the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Cities on the Prevention of Radicalisation, held in Nice on 29 and 30 September 2017. The Conference was chaired by Christian Estrosi, President of the Réseau des Villes Euromed [Euromed Cities Network], with the participation of Julian King, European Union Commissioner for the Security Union and Amb. Hatem Atallah, Executive Director of the Anna Lindh Foundation. The Conference also gathered several mayors and governors of cities from the North and the South of the Mediterranean, and other key representatives from academia,… read more
•With one of the fastest urbanisation rates worldwide, the Mediterranean region will need an estimated €60 billion worth of investment in urban infrastructure in the next 20 years. •Supported by the active involvement of its 43 Member States, the UfM is committed to implementing a UfM Urban Agenda that ensures urban sustainability, resilience and better quality of life for people in the region…. read more
•Intra-Mediterranean maritime trade flows account for nearly 25% of global traffic volume. •With a total value of €520 million, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) supports three labelled projects targeting the maritime transport, trade and logistics sectors. •Supported by the active involvement of its 43 Member States, the UfM is committed to building on the great potential of the Mediterranean maritime sector to facilitate trade, transport and mobility in the region, while placing people at the centre of its projects and initiatives…. read more
Dubai, 24 September 2017.- UfM Deputy Secretary General Amb. Ihab Fahmy participated in the Open House and Transport Report Launch Event, organised by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 24 September 2017. He also addressed the UITP MENA Executive Committee, which is responsible for overseeing and providing strategic direction for UITP activities in the MENA region. In addition to presenting the key findings of the Transport Report and the most important developments in public transport in MENA cities, the event gathered key players in urban mobility from both the public and private sectors. The… read more
New York, 18 September 2017. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Fathallah Sijilmassi, participated in the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA72), on 18-22 September…. read more
The UfM Secretariat held today in New York City the High-Level Roundtable “Towards implementing the New Urban Agenda in the Mediterranean Region” following the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) The Mediterranean region is characterized by one of the fastest urbanization rates worldwide – almost 60% of its people are already living in urban areas. The UfM Urban Agenda represents an action-oriented roadmap for the future aimed at ensuring urban sustainability and resilience with greater socio-economic impact on the ground, thus improving the quality of life of the peoples… read more
•The UfM Secretariat co-organised the UNFCCC 2017 Forum of the Standing Committee on Finance in Rabat, on 6-7 September. •The Secretariat is conducting a study on climate finance in the Mediterranean to provide a clear overview of the funding flows for climate action in the region…. read more
The meeting determined the need to identify the Technical Assistance of the partner countries on aquaculture and maritime spatial planning (MSP) and presented the ongoing IMP MED study on the potential of the blue economy…. read more