News

UfM grant contributions will go to four projects supporting women entrepreneurs, SMEs, cooperatives and social economy actors across Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine and Tunisia. This announcement comes as development agencies and government representatives gathered in Barcelona for the 3rd Annual Meeting of UfM Development Actors to discuss how to work together more effectively and combine funding and expertise to turn shared regional priorities into practical initiatives with greater impact. 25 September 2026, Barcelona. The UfM has awarded four projects under its third Grant Scheme for the promotion of inclusive digital trade, mobilising over €1M in grant contributions to help businesses… read more

Cairo, Egypt,  23–24 September 2026 – How can governments and stakeholders better address the interconnected challenges of gender inequality, climate change and conflict? This question was at the centre of a regional workshop on “Women, Peace and Security and Climate Change in the Arab Region: Operationalizing Policy Coherence for the Gender–Climate–Conflict Nexus”, held in Cairo on 23–24 September. Convened by the Union for the Mediterranean, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in partnership with UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA), the… read more

Barcelona, 15 September 2026. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is pleased to launch a call for proposals for side events and invites organisations interested in contributing to the Pavilion programme to submit proposals for side events at the Mediterranean Pavilion during the UN Climate Change Conference COP31, taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The deadline for submissions is 1 October 2026. Coordinated by the UfM in partnership with regional institutions, the Mediterranean Pavilion is a shared space within the conference’s official Blue Zone, dedicated to bringing Mediterranean climate challenges and solutions to the global… read more

9-10 September 2026, Barcelona, Spain – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), has launched the first cohort of the Research2Business (R2B) Programme with a two-day Bootcamp hosted at StartUB!, the University of Barcelona’s entrepreneurship hub. The regional programme aims to strengthen research commercialisation across the Mediterranean by supporting research teams in transforming applied knowledge and scientific discoveries into viable, market-ready innovations. Through structured commercialisation support, mentoring, expert guidance, regional ecosystem engagement, and links to collaboration and funding opportunities, R2B seeks to bridge the gap between research and entrepreneurship. The… read more

6 September 2026, Amman. The last of seven Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultations took place today at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Jordan. Co-organised by the Embassy and UfM alongside the host country, the initiative aims to promote a unified Mediterranean voice ahead of the conference, with conclusions from these talks consolidated into a Mediterranean Synthesis Note that will be presented in Antalya this November. As a hotspot warming 20% faster than the global average, the wider Mediterranean region, including Jordan, faces growing climate and environmental pressures that underscore the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation on… read more

Bled, 31 August–1 September 2026. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) reinforced its engagement with Central European and Western Balkan partners during the participation of the UfM Acting Secretary General Fadi Hajali in the 21st Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia. On the sidelines of the Forum, Hajali held bilateral exchanges with senior representatives from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovakia and Slovenia. The discussions sought to strengthen political engagement with the UfM, raise awareness of key upcoming high-level events and identify concrete areas for cooperation within the wider Euro-Mediterranean framework. As host country, Slovenia provided an important opportunity for… read more

Barcelona, 12 August 2026. Marking International Youth Day, the UfM has opened applications for the third edition of the UfM Med Youth Lab, focused this year on entrepreneurial skills. Organised by the UfM with the support of the German Development Cooperation and in collaboration with the University of Palermo, the hybrid programme will combine online training from October to December with in-person workshops in Palermo, Italy, from 14 to 16 December 2026. Participants will develop foundational skills in entrepreneurial thinking, innovation, financial literacy, communication and problem-solving. They will also design introductory sessions through which they can share basic entrepreneurship concepts… read more

30 July 2026. As preparations intensify for COP31 in Antalya this November, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Türkiye COP31 Presidency are bringing together governments, businesses, researchers, financial institutions, civil society and youth across the region through the Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue, a series of seven high-level national consultations designed to strengthen Mediterranean cooperation on climate action. Launched in Rabat on 8 July, the Dialogue has since convened consultations in Cairo, Paris, Madrid and Rome, Algiers with a meetings in Amman set to complete the regional process. Hosted by Turkish embassies in partnership with national ministries and coordinated… read more

Barcelona, 29 July 2026. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) will coordinate the Mediterranean Pavilion at the UN Climate Change Conference COP31, taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The Pavilion will be located in the official Blue Zone, with one clear purpose: to bring a united Mediterranean voice to the global climate table at a moment when the region’s climate related challenges cut across every border in the basin. Building on the success of previous editions, the Mediterranean Pavilion will continue to serve as a key platform for regional engagement. Coordinated by the UfM, the… read more

29 July 2026, Algiers. The sixth of seven Antalya Mediterranean Climate Dialogue consultations took place today at the residence of the ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye in Algiers. Organised by the UfM alongside the COP31 president and host country, the initiative aims to promote a unified Mediterranean voice ahead of the conference, with conclusions from these talks consolidated into a Mediterranean Synthesis Note that will be presented in Antalya this November. As a hotspot warming 20% faster than the global average, the Mediterranean faces growing climate and environmental pressures that underscore the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation on… read more