Important meeting between Tunisian authorities and representatives of the EU-funded Cybersouth Programme to further discuss Tunisian advancement towards its legislative alignment with the Budapest Convention provisions.
The “Arab Cybersecurity Forum on Protecting Personal Data in the Age of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence” took place in Tunis on 4 and 5 December 2023 with the aim to explore synergies and increase cooperation with members of the League of Arab States.
Rıza and Havle used to live a nomadic life in Syria. The young family decided to settle in Gaziantep, Türkiye, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They asked for temporary protection identity cards to access important services such as health care. However, the road to getting proper documentation was bumpy. Being registered has removed a very important barrier for the family. Now they can access services and assistance. Thanks to EU humanitarian funding, the Irish NGO ‘’GOAL’’ supports nomadic and semi-nomadic refugees like Rıza’s family, as well as seasonal agricultural workers in Türkiye.
This year’s devastating earthquakes have led to unprecedented humanitarian needs in 11 provinces across Türkiye. The disaster claimed the lives of over 50,000 people, and directly impacted some 14 million people. In Kilis, a community centre by the International Blue Crescent Relief & Development Foundation (IBC), provides a safe space for local and refugee children to learn, play and recover. In addition, women also receive support to help them overcome the trauma they have experienced. The 11-year-old Ece from Gaziantep enjoys coming to the centre. “I have a lot of fun here. We play games and do drama activities. We go to the movies, tour the city. When I go out, I discover new things and it makes me very happy,” she says. Co-funded by the EU’s humanitarian aid and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, GIZ actively supports local initiatives like this one. The aim is to address the pressing needs of the most vulnerable and at-risk groups.
Aliye and Sewsen are both mothers and refugees who fled from Syria in search of a safer future. They faced similar difficulties when arriving in Türkiye, one above all being the language barrier. Thanks to EU humanitarian funding, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) together with its local partner Mavi Kalem helped their families overcome the struggles they encountered building a new life. Mavi Kalem’s centre in Istanbul offers psychosocial support to refugees, with diverse activities for adults and education support for children. Aliye arrived in Türkiye 8 years ago to protect her children from the war in Syria. Her family faced many difficulties, but after meeting the Mavi Kalem’s team 6 years ago, they were able to get the support they needed. Through the years, they received food assistance and tablets, so their children could continue their education during the pandemic. Sewsen from Aleppo first fled to Lebanon and then arrived in Türkiye, where she got married and had two children. She came alone, and her family members are scattered around the world. Mavi Kalem’s centre helped her to socialise with other women.
If you think that a coffee can be made only from coffee beans, think twice. Hala Mouslem, a Syrian woman living in Gaziantep, produces a date seed coffee. Thanks to the EU-funded ENHANCER Project (Enhancement of Entrepreneurship Capacities for Sustainable Socio-Economic Integration), she has received a training course at the Gaziantep Gastronomy Academy and now runs her own business. Diana Arour, another Syrian entrepreneur living in Gaziantep, produces and sells biscuits and desserts after completing a training course in the Academy. The ENHANCER Project is implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in coordination with the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and Development Agencies. Over 5,500 people have received entrepreneurship training with EU support.
The next 2 December, at the Swedish Pavilion of the COP28 in Dubai, will took place the Signing ceremony of the Blue Mediterranean Partnership (BMP), a side event organized by the EU to sign the Statement of Intent of this partnership.
From the last 13 to the 15 November, the Civil Society Facility for the Mediterranean met for the second Project Steering Committee in Brussels in order to meet with a number of EU Institutional Stakeholders and exchange on the current situation in the civil society in the Mediterranean region.
The last 21 and 22 November the the Civil Society Facility for the Mediterranean (CSFM) met in Tunisia with EU Delegation and the local civil society partners to exchange on the current situation in Tunisia, especially about the topics of the regional structured dialogue.
The last 21 and 22 November took place the 5th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Social Dialogue Forum in Marseille, where Mediterranean Social Partners met to discuss social dialogue practices and the future of the region about common interest subjects as social dialogue, inclusion, digital transitions and other subjects that gathered them to dialogue together.
The last 20 and 21 November, leaders and experts convened for a pivotal online workshop on Green Transition and Climate Change, organized by the College of Europe under the EU-funded El-Hiwar III project. LAS and EU collaboration centered on aligning with the European Green Deal and preparing for COP 28. Discussions on greener finance, investment, and research collaborations provided a foundation for future LAS-EU cooperation. The workshop's success, rooted in practical contributions, signifies a shared commitment to a more sustainable future as we approach COP 28.
The last 22 November, the 2nd Steering Committee meeting of the SAFEMED V Project took place gathering several countries from the South Mediterranean region and several DG's from the European Commission, as well as regional organizations and actors, to discuss the results of the project and to present the plan for the upcoming years.
The last 22 and 23 November took place the Launching of the Impact Together! Project, in Torino, during the Impact Week 2023. This regional project which the main goal is to support social economy in the Southern Neighborhood, was launched in presence of the DG NEAR and 50 partners. An occasion to exchange on the project and social economy in the region, in an event gathering more than 800 actors and experts.
The SAFIR Project held its closing conference in Paris the last 16 to 18 November coming after 4 years of exchange, supports and meetings about social economy in the Southern Neighborhood.
The last 06-07 November took place a "Knowledge Transfer Program on Enabling Energy in Buildings and Appliances" aiming to enrich national policymakers and key stakeholders of the Mediterranean region through the EU expertise and experience.
The last 16 November, the team MOMENTUM launched the Training Curriculum Development Working Group with 14 representatives from 6 law enforcement agencies from the region among them Tunisia, Algeria, Maroc, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. A launching initiate the start of meetings to improve their training related competencies through exchange of experiences.
In Vienna on the last 8 and 9 November took place the fifth annual Steering Committee of the SwitchMed project. A project aiming to stimulate the creation of business and employment opportunities while reducing the environmental footprint.
On November 7, the OECD in cooperation with DG NEAR within the Global OECD Sustainable Investment Days, organised a meeting to exchange on monitoring and evaluation tools for Investment Promotion Agencies in the MENA region.
On the last 9 October, took place the EuroMeSCo Business Platform at Casa Árabe, with a plurality of actors to talk about the Mediterranean dimension of the Global Gateway and its strategic cooperation opportunities.
On the last 10-11 October 2023, EuroMeSCo held the 2023 edition of the Annual Conference “From the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership to a Euro-Mediterranean Geostrategic Alliance” which gathered around 150 participants from 32 countries to talk about the challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
