UfM Member States met this week to discuss actions to tackle the COVID-19 crisis through research and innovation as well as a strategic regional cooperation approach to accelerate evidence-based healthcare decision-making. 8 April 2020. Conscious of the pressure that COVID-19 puts on health systems, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is exploring ways to speed and scale-up actions in the field of research and innovation. This was the objective of the virtual meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Research and Innovation, held earlier this week. The wide spectrum of initiatives announced by the European Commission and UfM Member States showed the potential for regional cooperation in terms of establishing collaborative platforms, clinical data collection and access, creation of common databases on technologies and joint development of industrial research solutions and medical treatments/vaccines. The need for a strategic regional cooperation approach regarding the socio-economic implications was also underlined. UfM Secretary General,… read more
7 April 2020. This year, on World Health Day, we celebrate the work of nurses and midwives, and recall the critical role they play in keeping the world healthy. From China to Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa and beyond, unprecedented and firm policy measures have been taken to limit the rapid spread of the COVID-19. In the meantime, scientific, medical and pharmaceutical communities across the globe have stepped-up their efforts to deliver treatments and care for the sick. Restlessly, they have been providing high quality treatment and care, leading community dialogue to address fears and interrogations and, in some instances, collecting data for clinical studies. Put… read more
1 April 2020. The economic impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the world economy could be even worse than that of the 2008 recession according to leading think tanks and experts, with expectations of a deceleration of global growth, which will be hit by a projected loss of over 1 trillion dollars in the year 2020. The OECD estimates that for each month of containment, there will be a loss of 2 percentage points in annual GDP growth. The tourism sector alone faces an output decrease as high as 70%. This global recession will not be spread evenly across the globe, and the UfM region in particular is… read more
27 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic challenges our health and our economy and calls for the closest international cooperation to manage its impact. One of the most pronounced effects of this pandemic is the intensification of economic inequalities within the UfM region and beyond. In addition to the higher unemployment rates among groups with higher economic vulnerability, such as women and young people, the pandemic ushers the region – and the world- into a recession in 2020. Conscious of the scale and scope of this challenge, the UfM is pursuing its existing actions for a healthier development and preparing to call upon its vast community of partners and stakeholders – government representatives, regional organisations, civil society, businesses and… read more
23 March 2020. The unprecedented situation created by the rapid spread of COVID-19 disease around the world, reminds us that global threats know no borders. Some of the fastest and most concerning outbreaks of cases recorded are now found in some Euro-Mediterranean countries. COVID-19 is caused by a virus that is unique in many ways, and understanding more about it is fundamental to be able to reduce fear and increase proactivity. Despite this, the collective response of our citizens has shown we possess tools of great power, more important than ever: resilience and solidarity. Through this statement, the Union for the… read more
Freshwater availability is likely to decrease by 15% in the coming decades, causing important constraints for agriculture and human use in an area already suffering from water scarcity. The Mediterranean population classified as ‘water-poor’ is expected to increase to over 250 million, within 20 years. The UfM Water Agenda aims to ensure that each and every Euro-Mediterranean country receives the necessary technical, administrative, and financial recommendations to help achieve water security for its population and their economic activities. Barcelona, 17 March 2020. On World Water Day, held under the thematic “Water and Climate change”, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) emphasises the… read more
13 March 2020. In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UfM expresses its intention to collaborate with the health authorities and, in accordance with the recommendations and measures adopted in Spain, the Secretariat of the UfM, based in Barcelona, is reducing its activity and all scheduled events have been postponed to later dates, still to be confirmed. To protect its employees and their families, the UfM Secretariat is adopting teleworking as a general measure starting this Monday 16 of March until further notice. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve in Spain and around the world, the Secretariat remains vigilant… read more
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya, and the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel met today in Madrid to discuss ways to strengthen regional cooperation under the framework of the UfM. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Union for the Mediterranean to promote joint cooperation initiatives in priority sectors for the region linked to the sustainable development agenda. March 11, 2020. Spanish Foreign Minister González Laya and UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel took stock and analysed the future… read more
The Union for the Mediterranean signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the field of women’s access to health. The agreement will promote the engagement of UfM Member States in women’s empowerment, improving women’s access to health and addressing violence against women. Collaboration between the UfM and WHO started in 2016 to promote the project “WORTH – Women’s Right to Health,” which aims to reduce the incidence and mortality of cancers affecting women in Albania, Montenegro and Morocco, through the design and implementation of a comprehensive control strategy for cervical and breast cancer. 5 March… read more
UfM Member States will adopt a regional intergovernmental mechanism to monitor the progress made on women’s rights, evaluate gender gaps and provide recommendations to policymakers. UfM projects and initiatives specifically addressing women’s empowerment and gender equality benefit women in 20 Euro-Mediterranean countries. Within the UfM region, gender parity is estimated at 76.7% in Western Europe and at 61.2% in the Middle East and North Africa, which indicates there is still a long way to go. #EachforEqual #IWD2020 #UfM4Women #Women4Mediterranean Barcelona, 2 March 2020. The Union for the Mediterranean embraces the celebration of the International Women’s Day with the implementation of… read more
