5-7 February 2024, Tunis – The 5th edition of the Mediterranean Water Forum, co-organised by the Union for the Mediterranean, the Institut Méditerranéen de l’Eau, and the World Water Council in coordination with the Republic of Tunisia, took place this week in Tunis with the aim of unifying Mediterranean voices ahead of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali this May. Months after the kick off meeting in València, stakeholders converged to address a wide range of challenges and highlight best practices in a region heavily impacted by water scarcity and climate change. Around 400 participants from across the Mediterranean… read more
Alexandria and Tirana will become the first-ever Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue in 2025. The initiative, coordinated by the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation, honours the Euro-Mediterranean region’s cultural diversity while fostering greater mutual understanding and dialogue among its inhabitants. Each city will host a yearlong programme of activities, including conferences, sporting events, and cultural performances, that engage with civil society and have a Euro-Mediterranean dimension to them. Both Mediterranean Capitals will also partake in collaborative exchanges. A Northern Mediterranean city and a Southern Mediterranean city will be named the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and… read more
The Workshop on Green Skills in the Mediterranean, held in Zaragoza, Spain, addressed high unemployment rates and skills gaps in the region, emphasizing the role of education and research in fostering sustainable food systems and careers. It attracted participants from 15 Euro Mediterranean countries, representing academia, industry, policymakers, and civil society, highlighting the event’s multi-sectoral approach to sustainability and regional collaboration. The workshop aimed to inspire participants to integrate green skills into academic curricula and professional practices, focusing on technical green skills related to sustainable food systems. Through interactive sessions, participants developed strategies for incorporating green skills into their work…. read more
30 January 2024, Barcelona – The Union for the Mediterranean and the Union of Arab Banks, a non-profit affiliated with the League of Arab States that fosters collaboration between members and the international business community, signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest including climate change, women’s empowerment, and financial literacy. The signing ceremony, which took place at the UfM’s Palau de Pedralbes headquarters in Barcelona, saw representatives of both institutions agree to promote the visits of officials or experts, cooperative projects, consultations, seminars and workshops as well as the exchange of best practices. The… read more
The 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Conference on the Socioeconomic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities took place on January 23 and 24 in Amman, with participants discussing the launch of the Euro-Med Agenda by the end of this year to address the underlying causes of discrimination against people with disabilities and set the preconditions for more inclusive policy responses. Attendees discussed the results of the First Situational Assessment of the Social and Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, identified obstacles and opportunities, and highlighted good practices and priority areas in an outcome document that will be presented before the United Nations… read more
The award ceremony of the UfM Student Competition on Urban Design 2023: Urban Solutions to Climate Change in the Mediterranean took place in Barcelona on January 17, with Istanbul’s Özyeğin University students scooping the €5,000 first-place prize for their exploration of the coexistence of water and life in Türkiye’s Lake Amik basin. An ENSA Marseille student was the runner-up for her proposal transforming a post-industrial area in southern France into a sustainable development park, while Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya students came in third for their project transforming a degraded coastal territory in northeastern Spain into a water retention landscape to… read more
5 to 7 December 2023, Sweden – The Union for the Mediterranean organised a study visit for public and private sector professionals from the Southern Mediterranean region to Swedish companies. This was carried out with the support of German Development Cooperation and in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Participants from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia were able to immerse themselves in the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, learn best practices and network. Meetings were held with a wide range of Swedish stakeholders who highlighted their experience with trade and… read more
The UfM Conference on Digital Transformation took place on December 18, 2023 in Tangier, focusing on the development of digital ecosystems across the region and their potential to accelerate the green transition. The Union for the Mediterranean has been actively engaged in promoting digital connectivity, skills, and innovation in Member States, especially since the first UfM Conference on Digital Transformation in Tallinn in 2019. 18 December 2023, Tangier – The Union for the Mediterranean partnered with the German Development Cooperation and the AfricaMed Business Forum to hold the UfM Conference on Digital Transformation, which focused on the role of digital transformation in… read more
The 3-hour online workshop, co-organised by the UfM’s Social and Civil Affairs and Higher Education and Research divisions, saw more than 100 online participants discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in universities and STEM. Key sessions focused on the importance of GEPs in universities, emphasising their pivotal role in securing funding and fostering inclusivity in academia. The workshop facilitated dialogue on developing effective GEPs and tailoring them to the Mediterranean context. 12 December 2023 – The Union for the Mediterranean’s Social and Civil Affairs and Higher Education and Research divisions co-organised a 3-hour online workshop on Gender… read more
The UfM Secretariat co-organised two activities in Turin, the Workshop on Platform Economy together with the German Development Cooperation and the European Training Foundation as well as the 6th Meeting of the UfM Community of Practice on Youth Employment in the Southern Mediterranean. The Euro-Mediterranean Region has enormous human capital, yet the proportion of young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) remains structurally high, especially in Southern Europe and the MENA region. Digitalisation and connectivity remain both skewed and insufficient in the Southern Mediterranean. 12-14 December 2023, Turin – The Union of the Mediterranean partnered with the German… read more
