• English
  • Français
  • العربية
Follow us
Union for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfMUnion for the Mediterranean – UfM     Mediterranean Day
  • Who we are
    • Who we are

      The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental institution bringing together the European Union Member States and 16 countries from the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean to promote dialogue and cooperation.

      Overview   

    • Who we are

      • Member States
      • Meet the team
      • Partners
      • History
    • Key documents

      UfM Annual Report 2022 Regional Integration
  • What we do
    • Notre action

      The UfM seeks to enhance regional cooperation, dialogue and the implementation of concrete projects and initiatives with tangible impact on our citizens to address three strategic objectives: human development, stability and integration.

      Overview   

    • Inclusive Development

      • Economic Development and Employment
      • Higher Education & Research
      • Social & Civil Affairs

      Sustainable development

      • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
      • Transport & Urban Development
      • Energy & Climate Action
    • How we work

      • Political Framework
      • Regional Dialogue Platforms
      • Projects and Initiatives
  • Work with us
    • The UfM Secretariat is the operational platform of the Union for the Mediterranean. The staff of the UfM is made of more than 17 nationalities working in a multicultural environment that fosters cooperation and intercultural communication and exchange.

    • Work with us

      • Vacancies
      • Secondments
      • Internships
      • Procurement
      • Roster of experts
  • Info center
    • Info center

      Find our latest press releases, press invitations, visual identity, key institutional documents, photos and other relevant information


      Download the UfM Visual Identity Guidelines and Logos (zip file)   

    • Info center

      • Media corner
      • News
      • Agenda
      • Publications and key documents
      • Human Stories of the Mediterranean
    • UfM in the Media

      23 July 2023 – Diário de Notícias – União para o Mediterrâneo, 15 anos de cooperação regional
      View article
      21 July 2023 – Al Masry al Youm – جوزيب بوريل وأيمن الصفدى وناصر كامل يكتبون: 15 عامًا من التعاون الإقليمى
      View article
      17 July 2023 – The Jordan Times – Union for the Mediterranean, 15 years of regional cooperation
      View article
      See more
  • Contact

Ouided Bouchamaoui

Two Mediterranean
shores, united

Together with three other Tunisians, Ouided Bouchamaoui was awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for securing the transition to democracy after the Arab Spring in her country. But this is not where her story started or where it ended…

“In Southern countries, governments don’t have the ability to invest or to face economic problems. It’s the private sector’s role to get together, campaign and promote investment.” Ouided Bouchamaoui is an entrepreneur at heart. It is her passion, her talent, her heritage. Her grandfather was an entrepreneur, he started his own civil engineer company. Her dad took over and made it grow to become Hédi Bouchamaoui & Sons. Bouchamaoui herself is now the leader of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), she has been since 2011, following the Tunisian revolution. She also leads her own firm, specialised in cotton “to make it in the entrepreneurial world, you need to like risk. You need to believe in yourself and you need fair play, because in business, you lose, you fall, you stumble but you need to get back up. You need to love challenges, without challenges, you can’t win, you can’t aspire to a better world.”

A better world was what the youth of the Arab Spring hoped for in 2011. When the revolution broke out, when the youth demanded “dignity and work”, when conflict rose, Bouchamaoui, as the head of UTICA gathered around the negotiation table with three other unions: The Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Order of Lawyers and the Tunisian Human Rights League. They formed the National Dialogue Quartet. “We gathered, the four presidents of national organisations and we thought of the best way to bring together people from different political background to find a solution to the political crisis. To solve the lack of confidence the Tunisian people had in the political regime.” Once the quartet agreed on a roadmap, they used it as a basis to have a peaceful national dialogue. This enterprise got them the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Tunisian entrepreneur holds her region dear in her heart but beyond that, she sees opportunities for southern countries which will invest in cooperation. “In the absence of political will, it is civil society that will be the pillar of Mediterranean cooperation. It will have to convince politicians to unite, think macro and think together.” Her experience in Tunisia, negotiating, bringing together people from all sides of society, taught her that dialogue is the best tool to deal with political conflict. “I stay convince that dialogue is always the best option to find solution to conflicts, to find serenity and prosperity”.

In 2019, the Summit of the Two Shores brought together civil society representatives to foster a rich exchange between Mediterranean countries. It was presided by Ouided Bouchamaoui. “Foundations, organisations and civil society came together to put projects on the table, discuss our point of views, forget our origins, skin colour, religion, and getting to work on Mediterranean prosperity.” For the Nobel Peace prize laureate, Mediterraneans “have the same ambitions, we want to invest, we want to grow, we want to invest in new markets, conquer the world and keep competition alive. Competition means progress, which means prosperity.”

For Bouchamaoui, the youth and women should take centre stage, after years of being disregarded. “The Mediterranean youth needs to believe in their capacities, they can’t give up, they have the means and the capability to make it. Without the youth, we won’t be able to go on. They are an important pillar of the Mediterranean.”

Last November 2020, Ouided Bouchamaoui gave a keynote speech on the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, during the Union for the Mediterranean’s Regional Forum, highlighting the importance of civil societies in the Mediterranean space.

Who we are

  • Member States
  • Meet the team
  • Partners
  • History

What we do

  • Economic Development & Employment
  • Higher Education & Research
  • Social & Civil Affairs
  • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
  • Transport & Urban Development
  • Energy & Climate Action

How we work

  • Political Framework
  • Regional Dialogue Platforms
  • Projects and Initiatives

Work with us

  • Vacancies
  • Secondments
  • Internships
  • Procurement
  • Roster of experts

Info centre

  • Media corner
  • News
  • Agenda
  • Publications and key documents
  • Human Stories of the Mediterranean
  • Photo gallery
  • Video gallery
Co-financé par l'Union européenne  -  Cookie Privacy  |  Privacy Privacy  |  Legal notice
  • Who we are
    • Member States
    • Meet the team
    • Partners
    • History
  • What we do
    • Economic Development and Employment
    • Higher Education & Research
    • Social & Civil Affairs
    • Water, Environment and Blue Economy
    • Transport & Urban Development
    • Energy & Climate Action
  • How we work
    • Political Framework
    • Regional Dialogue Platforms
    • Projects and Initiatives
  • Work with us
    • Vacancies
    • Secondments
    • Internships
    • Procurement
    • Roster of experts
  • Info centre
    • Media center
    • News
    • Agenda
    • Publications and key documents
  • Contact
  • Social media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Linkedin
    • Flickr
  • English
  • Français
  • العربية
Union for the Mediterranean – UfM

 

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .


3rd Party Cookies

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Cookies Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Read more

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!