The Catalan Government is promoting the consolidation of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean

Barcelona (ACN) .- The Catalan Government approved last Tuesday the creation of a program to support the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean, whose headquarters are in Barcelona. The programme is designed to advise the UfM in its work, promoting and developing activities related to Euro-Mediterranean policy as well as increasing the strength of Catalan participation in these initiatives. The temporary program will be in force until the institution has enough resources of its own. Its key functions are to promote the work of the UfM, identifying, monitoring and promoting new projects and seeking funding and partners for financial and technical support.

At the summit of the Euro-Mediterranean Union in Marseille on 3^rd and 4^th November 2008, foreign ministers from the EU and South Mediterranean countries selected Barcelona to host the Secretariat of the UfM. The UfM brings together 43 countries, the 27 Member of the European Union and the countries from Northern Africa and Eastern Mediterranean. Its work mainly focuses on economics, the environment and culture.

The Catalan Government’s Department for Foreign Affairs has been in charge of monitoring the setting of the UfM’s Secretariat into Barcelona’s Palau de Pedralbes. It has coordinated the cooperation of Catalan governmental departments and civil organisations with the institution. Given the complexity of the Euro-Mediterranean process, the Catalan Government has agreed to create a Program of Support to the UfM’s Secretariat.

Led by an appointed director, this programme will advise the Catalan Government Department of Foreign Affairs on Euro-Mediterranean development projects in order to support and encourage the participation of Catalan society in such initiatives. On top of this, the programme of support will also advise the UfM’s Secretariat in the identification, promotion and development of projects. For the time being, it has been designated as a temporary project that is expected to last 12 months. By this time full consolidation of the Secretariat of the UfM is estimated to have been completed.