Brussels, 19 March 2018. – The 43 member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) convened today in Brussels at the 10th Trade Ministerial Conference, where they gave a new impulse to economic integration in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The Ministerial Conference was held under the UfM Co-Presidency of Cecilia Malmström, EU Commissioner for Trade, and Yarub Qudah, Jordanian Minister of Trade, Industry and Supply, in the presence of Jorge Borrego, UfM Acting Secretary General. The level of regional economic integration in the Euro-Mediterranean region remains amongst the lowest in the world. Eight years have passed since the last Trade Ministerial… read more
9 March 2018, Paris.- The Secretary-General Ad. Interim of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), M. Plácido Plaza, received at the CIHEAM’s Headquarters in Paris, Mr. Saïd Bhira the Special Counsellor to the Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean on Higher Education and Research. This meeting was the opportunity to discuss cooperation activities on Higher Education and Research, and to identify avenues of collaborations related to climate change, women empowerment, and migrations issues. Working on an increased exchange of expertise, information and publications on these issues is also… read more
Representing more than half the total population, women and young people constitute one of the greatest assets for stability and development in the Euro-Mediterranean region. According to recent studies, if the participation of women in the labour market equalled that of men, the regional GDP could rise by as much as 47% over the next decade. That means the region could realize an economic impact of around €490 billion annually. Following up on the recent UfM Ministerial Meeting on “Strengthening the role of women in society”, 2018 will witness the launch of new regional projects as well as the 4th Regional… read more
Malta, 1 March 2018. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Fathallah Sijilmassi and the President of the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation, Tony Zahra, together with its Secretary General, Andrew Agius Muscat, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of the President of Malta, H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. The MoU focuses notably on the development of synergies and ways of collaboration to implement projects and initiatives across the Mediterranean region with a view to capitalize on the tourism’s potential to advance sustainable economic growth, environmental protection as well as intercultural dialogue, tolerance and understanding. “This collaboration between… read more
22 and 23 February 2018, Barcelona – Capitalizing on the continuous and successful cooperation with the Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) and the EMUNI University, the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Mr. Fathallah Sijilmassi, signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Presidents of these two regional hubs for Higher Education and Research in the Mediterranean, Prof. Dr. Mostapha Bousmina and Prof. Dr. Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry, respectively. The signature of these framework agreements has the objective of building renewed partnerships through the implementation of a multiannual Joint Action Plan for the period 2018-2020 with a specific focus on the current… read more
Kuala Lumpur, 10 February 2018. The UfM Secretariat held today in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), the UfM Networking Event: “Towards implementing the New Urban Agenda in the Euro-Mediterranean Region”, in the framework of the World Urban Forum (WUF9) in continued efforts to raise awareness about the UfM Urban Agenda (#UfMUrbanAgenda) with a view to ensuring a more sustainable urban future in the Euro-Mediterranean region and beyond. This Networking Event chaired by Amb. Ihab Fahmy, UfM Deputy Secretary General, and organised in cooperation with the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB), brought together representatives… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) partner to promote cervical and breast cancer prevention and early screening through the project “Women’s Right to Health (WoRTH)”…. read more
30 January 2018, Paris.- The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today in order to intensify cooperation to advance inclusive and sustainable growth in the Southern Mediterranean region. Youth employability, local economic and employment development, public-private dialogue, women’s empowerment, urban development and transport as well as green growth and economic resilience building are amongst the priority areas targeted. The MoU was signed by Gabriela Ramos, OECD Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20 and Laurence Pais, Deputy Secretary-General of the UfM at the OECD’s Paris… read more
The Foreign Ministers of the “5 + 5 Dialogue” met in Algiers on 21 January 2018 to discuss the role of the Western Mediterranean in the promotion of inclusive, shared and sustainable socio-economic development in order to meet the common challenges faced in the region. Algiers, 21 January 2018 – The 14th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the “5+5 Dialogue” in the Western Mediterranean was held in Algiers on 21 January 2018, under the Co-Presidency of Mr Abdelkader Messahel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, and Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and… read more
Confidently building a positive agenda for the Mediterranean is critical, and it must be done with strength and conviction, writes UfM’s Secretary General Fathallah Sijilmassi…. read more
