6 October 2023, Barcelona. The Mediterranean region is currently grappling with the challenge of over 80 million hectares of degraded land. Moreover, more than 400,000 hectares of forests are lost to wildfires each year, placing at least 16 animal and plant species in Mediterranean forests at the brink of extinction due to environmental threats, including climate change. Also, land abandonment rates in the Mediterranean have surged, reaching as high as 30%. This alarming trend not only jeopardizes our cultural landscapes but also threatens the invaluable services they provide. From 2nd- 6th October, the Young Leadership Programme Mediterranean 2023 (YLPMED 2023)… read more
14-15 September 2023, Trieste – Organised by the European House/Ambrosetti Forum, the first edition of the forum Risorsa Mare was organised in collaboration with the Italian Ministry for Civil Protection and Sea Policies. The Secretary General was invited to exchange with Roberta Giani (Editor-in-chief, Il Piccolo), in a session on the economic, social and geopolitical challenges of the Euro-Afro-Asian Basin. During his intervention, SG Kamel underlined the main challenges faced in the Euro-Mediterranean area, namely the regional integration and the economic crisis, social inequalities, and the climate emergency. He further noted that these three challenges, which gravely impact the region,… read more
16-21 September 2023, New York – UfM Secretary-General Nasser Kamel attended the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he highlighted the Union for the Mediterranean’s initiatives and solidified its partnerships with key UN institutions and agencies, including the UNDP. He also held meetings with several Foreign Affairs Ministers from Member States. The theme of the general debate this year was “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.” António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, inaugurated the General Assembly… read more
22 September 2023 Marseille. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, concluded the 6th edition of the “Mediterranée du Futur” Conference, organized by the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region on Friday, September 22, 2023, in Marseille. The theme of this 6th edition was “Every Drop Counts: Water is Life.” It brought together around 50 private and public actors from Euro-Mediterranean and international backgrounds to discuss water-related issues. It also pushed for the creation of a new macro-regional strategy to address common issues in the Mediterranean basin and strengthen the Mediterranean’s influence and visibility within the EU. The Secretary General also participated… read more
Led by the Government of Italy, in collaboration with the UfM and PRIMA, a session on the Mediterranean Diet and its lessons for the world, was held on 24 July in Rome, in the framework of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment. On its margins, UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel participated as well in the high-level 4th Annual Summit of the European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East (ECAM). 24 July 2023, Rome – The UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment took place in Rome, Italy from 24 to 26 July 2023, at the premises… read more
July 2023, Barcelona – Research and innovation are key for innovating the Mediterranean economies and for employing its students and researchers. Structured dialogue between academia, business sector and policymakers is a powerful way to connect this sector more closely with the regional sustainable economy agenda. While the region experiences high rates of graduate unemployment, 32% of enterprises in some Southern Mediterranean countries have identified labour skill levels as a major constraint to hiring. With the support of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has launched since 2020 a series of activities facilitating exchanges between the… read more
14 July 2023 – The Mediterranean Sea is host to 10.000 islands, 2.000 of which are home to stable dwellings, societies, economies, with two of them – Cyprus and Malta – being Island States. The UfM joined Islands the Local 2030 Partnership to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in Mediterranean Islands at the official side event at the 2023 UN High Level Political Forum on “Islands Leading on Localised SDG Implementation”, on 14 July 2023. As fragile and exposed ecosystems, and delicately balanced societies that express the positive potentials of such ecosystems, more than anyone else the Mediterranean Islands face… read more
16-17 July 2023, Algiers – The UfM with the support of the German Development Cooperation organized two workshops for Government and Private Sector stakeholders respectively in Algiers, each consisting of a basic course on Rules of Origin, transitional rules as well as information on specific Harmonized System Codes for the respective industries under the most pertinent agreements, including through training exercises. The workshops encompassed a training module for responsible staff officers from the Government with a more extensive conceptual and legal focus on the concept of rules of origin, in order to facilitate the stakeholder consultation process when conducting trade negotiations…. read more
The UfM High-Level Meeting on Skills in the Mediterranean recognized that the region has one of the youngest populations in the world and that skills are critical to leveraging the youth’s potential for bringing innovation and digitalisation to the dynamics of recovery, economic growth, decent work and social inclusion. Skilling, upskilling and reskilling boost employability, inclusiveness, competitiveness and growth, allowing to better address the challenges of technological and non-technological transformations such as green transition, demographic change, and digitalisation of the economy in the region, as well as addressing persistent issues of skill gaps and mismatches. Madrid, 12 July 2023. The… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)’s 15th anniversary presents an ideal opportunity to take stock of what has been accomplished so far and reflect on the challenges facing the region in the years to come. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs from UfM Member States will convene on 27 November in Barcelona to engage in these discussions and explore the future prospects for the organization. Despite a turbulent regional and international context over the past 15 years, the UfM has endeavoured to foster exchange and connectivity, promote development and create a space for dialogue across the Mediterranean on issues that concern… read more
