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Casa Llotja de Mar, Barcelona, 30 November and 1-2 December 2016. The Mediterranean region is experiencing a wide range of far-reaching social, political and economic transformations and growing economic potentialities. Despite its many economic opportunities, the Mediterranean still has a lot to overcome. Some economic, social and environmental challenges are more relevant and urgent thanRead more

2-3 November, Marseille. Two days dedicated to forward thinking, business making and building sustainable cooperations. Digital technology is revolutionising production, consumption, communication, and influences the planning and development of territories worldwide. In the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa, the penetration of mobile networks and 3G/4G greatly exceeds that of the wired Internet. These markets are thus becomingRead more

• A UfMS delegation shared its views on the main regional challenges affecting the Euro-Mediterranean region and presented UfM action on job creation, highlighting the 3rd UfM Ministerial Conference on Labour and Employment and the integrated employability program Med4Jobs.

• ‎The Summit, inaugurated by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, brought together 120 participants from a range of economic and social councils and similar institutions from UfM Member States.

Agadir SME Programme: Fostering SME competitiveness and trade Economic Development and Employment Completed Context The Agadir Declaration, signed on 25 February 2004, established a free trade zone (FTZ) between Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. The FTZ was created in order to develop economic activities, support employment, increase production and improve living standards within the member states, and cameRead more

• The UfM Senior Officials representing the 43 Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean held their fourth regular meeting this year to discuss the challenges facing the Euro-Mediterranean region and to approve several initiatives to promote regional stability, regional human development and regional integration.
• Senior Officials approved two new regional cooperation projects to promote urban development and economic integration in the region, bringing the total number of UfM-labelled projects to 47, valued at over 5 billion euros.

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The member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) have defined key measures to address the persisting challenge of unemployment in the Mediterranean region, particularly for young people and women.

The upcoming UfM Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting which will be held in Jordan in September 2016 will bring together the Mediterranean partners and EU Member State Ministers in charge of employment and labour. Moreover, social partners – employers’ and workers’ organisations – will have an opportunity to exchange views with invited Ministers.

The main objective of this meeting is to discuss labour market challenges in the region, take stock of successful initiatives that could be replicated, and agree on concrete actions to be implemented.

The meeting will be also an opportunity to discuss current labour market challenges, with the main objective of bringing youth into employment.

• The YouMatch – Toolbox Project, promoted by Germany’s Development Agency GIZ in coordination with the UfM Secretariat, falls under the UfM Med4Jobs initiative
• The project is centred on the link between labour demand and supply with the key idea to improve employment services for youth
• Commissioned and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ), the project is implemented by GIZ in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia

INCORPORA Economic Development and Employment Completed Labelled projects Context The Incorpora Programme, established in 2006, aims to help at-risk or marginalised people find work placements in companies. It further aims to: – Offer companies an alternative form of corporate social responsibility, creating more employment for vulnerable people. – Increase the training of professionals within the social organisationsRead more