News

Access to affordable and sustainable housing is a global challenge growing fast in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Housing is at the core of the New Urban Agenda and is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as to human rights issues, with adequate housing being recognized as part of the right to an adequate standard of living in international instruments. The building stock represents the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with households accounting for 19% of total worldwide energy consumption. When managed effectively, the housing sector can be an important source of social development, economic growth… read more

Vienna, 20 September 2018. In the framework of the 10-year anniversary of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), its Senior Officials endorsed today three new regional projects on deforestation, preventing violent extremism and smart cities. The UfM will join forces for these projects with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the British Council and the Euromed Cities Network, respectively. The meeting of the Senior Officials of the 43 UfM Member countries took place in Vienna ahead of the annual meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the UfM Regional Forum, which will be held in Barcelona on 8… read more

20 September 2018, Bari, Italy. The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), together with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Centre for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) with the technical collaboration of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Agreenium (the French consortium for research and education in agriculture, food, animal health, and the environment) organised the 2nd Mediterranean Forum for PhD Students and Young Researchers in Bari, Italy. PhD students and young researchers met at the CIHEAM Bari (Italy), from 18 to 20 September, to participate in the 2nd Mediterranean Forum… read more

13 September 2018, Nouakchott. UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, paid an official visit to Mauritania from 12 to 14 September. On this occasion, he was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. During this meeting, the SG thanked the Minister for the support of his country to the UfM, highlighting Mauritania’s pivotal position in the region, between the North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, its membership to the Arab Maghreb Union, but above all its location as a natural bulwark of the southern edge of the Mediterranean countries. For all these reasons, Secretary General Kamel congratulated… read more

Cairo, 10 September 2018. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, paid a working visit this week to the Arab Republic of Egypt within the framework of his outreach to the UfM Member States. During his visit, he met with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, who reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the UM and to the role that its Secretariat plays in fostering regional cooperation among its Member States. Light was shed on the over 20 out 50 UfM-labelled projects of which Egypt is a beneficiary, and the discussions also covered the upcoming UfM Regional… read more

1 September 2018, Dubrovnik. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, participated last 31 August and 1 September 2018 in the 13th edition of the Dubrovnik Forum. Held under the thematic “Strengthening Resilience – the Mediterranean, Europe and the Western Balkans”, the annual international conference was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, and brought together more than 250 participants, among others Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the region, representatives of international and regional organisations, as well as think tanks and private sector actors. The UfM Secretary General took part of… read more

Representing nearly 60% of the total population, young people constitute one of the greatest assets for stability and development in the Euro-Mediterranean region The UfM will co-organize the Youth Forum, on the margins of the 4th Edition of the UfM high-level Women Conference” in October 2018 12 August 2018. The UfM embraces the celebration of International Youth Day under the theme “Safe Spaces for Youth” to underline the urgent need to create spaces that allow them to share ideas on their projects, and participate in decision making processes. Back to back with the 4th Edition of the UfM high-level Women Conference… read more

Friday 3 August 2018. The Secretary General of the UfM, Nasser Kamel, has visited Tunisia this week following an invitation by the Tunisian authorities. He was received by the Prime Minister, Youssef Chahed. Mr. Chahed, who reaffirmed his support to the work of the Union for the Mediterranean and conveyed the message that the cooperation in the Mediterranean is essential in order to strengthen ties among the countries and the peoples of the region.  The UfM Secretary General stressed that Tunisia, by virtue of its geostrategic position and its close ties with key regional partners, is at the heart of… read more

Barcelona, 17 July 2018. The Senior Officials of the Union for the Mediterranean held their third meeting of 2018 this afternoon at the UfM Secretariat in Barcelona. This meeting was the first Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) hosted by Nasser Kamel since his appointment as Secretary General General of the Union for the Mediterranean, and was the occasion for him to present the main priorities . The designated Secretary General underlined the importance of the upcoming months for the Union for the Mediterranean, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, and called for the continued engagement of its Member States to strengthen regional cooperation and… read more

In 2018 the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) commemorates 10 years of tangible action towards enhanced regional dialogue and cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The 3rd UfM Regional Forum, set to take place on 8 October in Barcelona, will gather the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the UfM Member States to take stock of these past ten years and discuss the prospects for the future work of the organisation. Barcelona, 13 July 2018. Today, exactly ten years ago, the Euro-Mediterranean Heads of States and Government launched the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in Paris, building on the Barcelona Process and… read more