Meeting in Cairo on Sunday 21 and Monday 22 May, the ministers of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) countries who are responsible for urban issues adopted an Urban Agenda for Mediterranean. This sets out a work programme for dealing with the main stakes in this area – air quality, housing and social inclusion, sustainable mobility, entrepreneurship, shared governance and the full involvement of towns, and civil society and private sector partnerships.
The EU, which is currently co-chairing the UfM, commended the adoption of this agenda. European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu co-chaired the meeting in Cairo. She also underlined the interest in this "real roadmap for sustainable urban development in the Mediterranean basin" and said in a press release on Monday that its methodology picks up the core principles of the EU Urban Agenda.
The UfM Urban Agenda also pursues the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 11 on sustainable cities, as well as the goals of the New Urban Agenda resulting from it. This New Urban Agenda was adopted by the UN in October 2016, the press release adds.
Creţu stated that local towns and actors, including from the private arena, know the urban problems better than anyone. Their participation in developing the policies concerning them can only be of benefit to the millions of people living around the Mediterranean, she said, adding that she hoped benefit could be drawn from the experience and practice that have made the EU Urban Agenda so successful. (Original version in French by Fathi B’Chir)