21-22 November 2023, Marseille – The European Commission (Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion of the European Commission, DG EMPL) organised the 5th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Social Dialogue Forum on 21-22 November 2023 in Marseille on behalf of the Union for the Mediterranean Co-Presidency. The Forum, held every three years, gathered representatives from employers’ and workers’ organisations from UfM partner countries, Euro-Mediterranean Social Partner organisations, as well as representatives from the UfM Co-Presidency, the UfM Secretariat, the European Commission and other experts. Since 2010, the UfM Social Dialogue Forum actively contributes to the development of a strong, independent… read more
15-16 November 2023, Cairo. The Union for the Mediterranean held the National Workshop on Digital Transformation in Cairo on 15 and 16 November 2023 with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation and in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Estonian ICT Cluster. With over 60 experts and participants from various backgrounds in attendance, this two-day event allowed for discussions on how to enhance the digital transformation and for the exchange of best practices and ideas based on the experiences of Estonia and Egypt. This event, like the e-Governance National Workshops conducted… read more
Brussels, November 15-16, 2023 – The 7th UfM Task Force on Environment convened in Brussels and online, bringing together national representatives and regional stakeholders to deliberate on crucial environmental issues pertaining to the Euro-Mediterranean region. Chaired by the EU and Jordanian Co-Presidency alongside the UfM Secretariat, the meeting highlighted significant developments across various fronts as described in the 2030 GreenerMed Agenda. Delegates engaged in joint discussions focused on the upcoming COP28 for Climate Change and COP16 for Biodiversity, as well as the implementation of the approved Global Biodiversity Framework. The exchange allowed Member States to outline the priorities and needs… read more
Naples, 15 November 2023. Innovation, employability, and the green transition are interrelated challenges that require cooperation across societal pillars, such as universities and research centers, industry and governments, as highlighted in the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Research and Innovation (2022). In order to explore policies and initiatives that contribute to this dialogue, a conference was organized by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), also as part of the activities part of the Mediterranean Day (28 November). The primary aim was to explore the requirements and possibilities for strengthening collaborative endeavors among Academia,… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), within the framework of the 3rd edition of the Mediterranean Youth Academy, hosted an Event on Youth Engagement for a Sustainable Mediterranean for leaders, international and civil society organisations, and youths, which took place in Barcelona between the 6 to 9 November 2023. A hundred young people from some 20 Euro-Mediterranean countries discussed how to increase youth involvement in the green and digital transitions, the workforce and decision-making bodies. Participants endorsed the 2030 UfM Youth Agenda: Call for Action, a set of 12 proposals and recommendations for public and private institutions aimed at strengthening… read more
30-31 October 2023, Cairo. The fourth edition of the EU-UfM-African Development Bank Conference on Water Finance and Investments took place on 30 and 31 October as part of the Cairo Water Week. Water security is of utmost importance to the Euro-Mediterranean region and Africa: access to clean water, sustainable management, and the ability to combat droughts, floods, and water pollution are essential to their overall wellbeing and socioeconomic prosperity. These challenges were highlighted from a financial perspective at this event within the broader context of the interdependencies binding water to energy, food, and environmental sustainability — the WEFE nexus. This… read more
23 October 2023, Cairo – The Union for the Mediterranean, with the support of the German Development Cooperation, partnered with the League of Arab States to organise the High-Level Conference on Food Industry for Food Security. Titled “Towards More Resilient Regional Supply Chains and a More Sustainable Food Industry,” the event took place at the League of Arab States headquarters in Cairo. The conference, which kicked off a day after visits to Egyptian food sector companies, brought together participants from across the Euro-Mediterranean region to discuss the current state of the food industry, strategies to enhance its resilience, and pathways… read more
18-19 October 2023, Valencia – The Fourth UfM meeting of Civil Protection Directors-General of the Member States this week in Spain brought together a hundred officials from across the Euro-Mediterranean region to discuss the logistics of improving regional disaster risk management cooperation. Participants exchanged ideas surrounding the creation of a Mediterranean Framework on Civil Protection, a voluntary platform which will translate the technical discussions of the UfM Regional Dialogue Platform on Civil Protection into efficient on the ground activities. Many view these as necessary given the context of increasingly complex disasters, such as earthquakes or extreme weather events, that are… read more
October 18, 2023, Valencia – The Union for the Mediterranean in collaboration with the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME), the World Water council, and in coordination with Spain and Tunisia discussed pressing water challenges in the region at the 5th edition of the Mediterranean Water Forum’s kick-off meeting on October 18 in Valencia (Spain). This took place with the aim of creating a robust platform for stakeholders to converge and strategize around complex water issues ahead of the full event in Tunis next February leading up to the 10th World Water Forum in Bali. During the kick-off meeting, participants from diverse backgrounds,… read more
17 October 2023, Barcelona – Over 80 social economy actors and entrepreneurs gathered in Barcelona to participate in the fourth edition of the UfM Social Economy Conference. Co-organised by the UfM Secretariat, the Spanish Confederation of Social Economy Entrepreneurs (CEPES) and the German Development Cooperation, and co-sponsored by the European Union, this year’s event focused to two interrelated themes: promoting social entrepreneurship and the participation of women in the Social Economy. The Social Economy, driven by solidarity and the belief in people over capital, is currently experiencing heightened global recognition as a vehicle of social cohesion, job creation, inclusive growth,… read more
