News

The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, attended the 16th Meeting of Foreign Ministers “Dialogue 5 + 5”, hosted in digital format by the Tunisian and Maltese Co-Presidencies.    The Ministers  welcomed the “the driving role of the UfM as a special platform for dialogue and regional cooperation, bringing together all the Mediterranean countries and the European Union.”    The ministerial conference coincides this year with the 30th anniversary of the Western Mediterranean Dialogue and the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process.    Barcelona, 22 October 2020. The Foreign Affairs Ministers of the “5+5 Dialogue”, which includes 5 countries from the Northern shore of the Mediterranean (Spain, France, Italy, Malta and Portugal)… read more

21 October 2020. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, virtually met with EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, and they emphasized the importance of the partnership between the UfM and the EU Commission in order to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region. During the online meeting, Secretary General Kamel underlined that the UfM has been working in the last years on key priority areas shared with the EU, namely: climate action, digitalisation, job creation.  The European Commission is “the main partner of the UfM Secretariat at financial, technical and political level” UfM Secretary General underscored,… read more

· The emergency situations the Euro-Mediterranean region faces are common and have cross-border implications, which require a joint effort and a common agenda on disaster risk management at regional and sub-regional levels. · Since the general public plays an important role in risk prevention and preparedness for emergencies, citizens can be the first responders to disasters. The involvement of citizens in disaster risk management is a key factor to save lives, particularly for vulnerable groups. · Investing in youth and trained volunteers as a driving force for community service are crucial elements to build solidarity and resilience among societies. Digital… read more

13 October 2020. UNESCO reported that 640 historic buildings were damaged in the blast. Around 60 are at risk of collapse. Apart heritage buildings and historic residential architecture, many cultural and educational structures, such as museums and schools, also need extensive restoration. The UfM seeks to contribute to efforts towards promoting the recovery and reconstruction of the built heritage in Beirut. In a coordination meeting on 13 October 2020, UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel stated that Beirut’s built heritage is part and parcel of the Mediterranean identity and heritage.  He also said that the UfM has mobilised its convening power to… read more

Rabat, 13 October 2020. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad of the Kingdom of Morocco, Nasser Bourita, to stress the importance of regional cooperation. In the framework of the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process to be commemorated this year and also in the current challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, they both highlighted ways of strengthening Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and improving economic development in the region. In the press conference after the meeting in Rabat, Minister Bourita reaffirmed Morocco’s support to the UfM, recalling that the country participates in… read more

With COVID-19 still spreading, and with regional inequalities rising, we have a responsibility to collaboratively tackle gender equality, economic empowerment and climate change. Evidence shows that in the pandemic, women’s livelihoods are more vulnerable to unemployment and economic instability. As we recover from this pandemic, we must leverage the opportunity to create new inclusive societies that ensure that young people and women can fulfil their potential as catalysts of change and contributors to the region’s economy as a whole. ‎ 8 October 2020.  The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities. The impacts of crises are never gender neutral, and COVID-19… read more

7 October 2020, Barcelona. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, met with Peter Wells, Chief of the Section for Higher Education of UNESCO, and Josep M. Vilalta, Director of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) and Executive Secretary of the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP). The meeting was the occasion to strengthen the cooperation between UNESCO and the UfM in the field of higher education, opening pathways for future collaboration. The Secretary General emphasized that the UfM is a unique regional organization that gathers 42 Member States from the two shores of the Mediterranean that can give real and effective support to the… read more

8 october 2020. The 4th UfM Social Dialogue Forum, which has been held virtually, focused on current and future priorities and challenges for social dialogue in the UfM countries, in the presence of experts from the UfM Secretariat, the European Commission, the International Labour Organisation and other regional organisations. The Forum started with two parallel bilateral North-South sessions of the employers’ and workers’ organisations. During the two-day meeting, the 4th UfM Social Dialogue Forum gathered 117 participants who addressed the main key-issues of the Euro-Mediterranean Labour Market in times of Covid-19, the Role of Social Dialogue in addressing Migration and brain-drain… read more

The UfM Webinar on “Creative Economy and Heritage Industries in Turbulent Times” introduced the public to the concept of cultural and creative industries and supply chains, as well as the heritage values in the UfM Region and how they can contribute to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Webinar is part of a series of webinars targeting the general public with more focus on younger stakeholders, as part of the UfM Secretariat’s efforts to reach out to a broader audience during times of crisis. Barcelona, 8 October 2020. The fourth Webinar to be delivered by the UfM… read more

5-6 October 2020, Madrid. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel and Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya met today in Madrid to discuss the preparations of the 5th UfM Regional Forum, that will gather the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the UfM Member States in Barcelona by the end of this year. Building on the success of the first four editions, the Forum will provide the opportunity to take stock and analyse the future prospects for cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region, exactly 25 years after the launch of the Barcelona Process, which paved the way for the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean in 2008. The Forum will be presided by the Co-Presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean, assumed by the High Representative of… read more