Mediterranean Interregional Commission
Encyclopedia
The Mediterranean Interregional Commission is one of the twelve Committees of the United Cities and Local Governments
.
Within United Cities and Local Governments, the Interregional Mediterranean Commission is at the junction of three regional sections: Europe, Africa, and the Middle East/West Asia. The Mediterranean occupies a special place in UCLG due to the large amount of direct members in the three regions North, South, and East of the Mediterranean and because of the many cooperation initiatives that connect local authorities and the common policies for regional development. Following the Med Urbs program, a “network culture” of trans-Mediterranean local authorities was created in the Mediterranean, reinforced by the Euro-Mediterranean partnership: Medcities
, the network of Euromed cities (previously the Euromed group of Eurocities
), the Standing Committee for the Euro Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities
(COPPEM), the Europe-MENA Urban Network, Latin Arch
, the Inter-Mediterranean Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), and the European network of local authorities for peace in the Middle East (COEPPO) are some of the networks that intersect with a variety of networks of civil society, universities and initiatives of the private sector. It appeared that the three regional sections of UCLG together could reinforce exchanges and encourage taking into consideration the specific interests of local Mediterranean authorities, whether on matters related to Euro-Mediterranean relations or on strategic issues like decentralization
, urban development, or the environment, particularly access to and water management
.
Within the “Mediterranean” context, the Mediterranean Commission brings added value as vital support to a dynamic process that will make possible:
- Providing visibility and legibility to the numerous initiatives of local authorities in the Mediterranean.
- Creating the necessary conditions for the actors of these initiatives to meet in order to share know-how and experiences, to avoid scattered and compartmentalized actions, and by doing so, to optimize their impact in the field; encouraging particularly North-South and South-South dialogue and knowledge exchanges.
- Gaining recognition of the importance of the local institutional sphere as designers, managers, and leaders of development policies that are the closest to the citizens, in a region where governance indicators show it is urgent to bring centers of power closer to the population.
- Bridging the gap between elected representatives and local decision-makers in the Mediterranean who due to longstanding conflicts, economic difficulties and cultural stereotypes stifle the feeling of sharing a common Mediterranean or Euro-Mediterranean destiny.
- Promoting adequate consideration of political Mediterranean issues from the perspective of local authorities: peace in the Middle East, conflict prevention (“Peace Keeping”), intercultural dialogue (North-North, North-South, and South-South) regional integration processes (Union of the Arab Maghreb), etc.
It was suggested in 2001 during the joint meeting in Tunis of the World Federation of United Cities and the International Union of Local Authorities (FMCU/IULA), before the unification congress of Paris in May 2004. During the congress in Paris, the President of the French Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region, the mayors of Marseille
, Rome
, and Tunis
and the founding and honorary presidents of UCLG relaunched the idea of a Commission suggesting it could have its headquarters in Marseille. The principle of a Mediterranean Commission was adopted by the Executive Council in São Paulo and the creation of the Commission was ratified during the World Council of Beijing in June 2005.
On May 18, 2005 a meeting was held in Marseille. Major local authorities of the Mediterranean and their national or international networks were invited to participate or to contribute in writing to the meeting during which a first definition of a “Mediterranean Commission” of UCLG was prepared, including its members, objectives, and a tentative agenda.
Milestones of the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG:
May 2006: A technical secretariat is set up in Marseille, financed by the City of Marseille and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, with the support of Cités Unies France and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
November 2006: Constitution of the political organs representing the three shores of the Mediterranean with a three-year mandate. Omar EL JAZOULI, Mayor of Marrakech
, becomes the first President of the Mediterranean Commission
October 2007: The mandate of the Mediterranean Commission is renewed during theSecond World Congress of UCLG in Jeju.
February 2008: Mercedes Bresso
, President of the Piedmont
Region, becomes the second President of the Mediterranean Commission.
22 & 23 June 2008: Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean.
June 2009: Abdel Moumen ARISS, Mayor of Beirut
, becomes the third President of the Mediterranean Commission.
17 to 20 November 2010: The third UCLG Congress, held in Mexico, sees the renewal of the mandate of the Mediterranean Commission for three years.
- Promote local and regional autonomy and the institutional reinforcement of local authorities South and East of the Mediterranean, as well as their national networks or associations. To this end, the Commission favors structuring local authorities through its support to national associations of elected officials and local authorities of the South or by fostering their creation.
- Assure direct exchanges between the many different actors on common issues at Mediterranean scale, for example, the organization of the Permanent Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean, an opportunity for dialogue and a special occasion to amplify the voice of Mediterranean local authorities and to allow exchanges between Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean politicians and actors.
- Develop decentralized cooperation and initiatives advocating common values that respect Mediterranean specificities.
- Engage in dialogue with donors of State and multilateral funds (French Development Agency, Bretton Woods Institutions, United Nations agencies, investment bank funds), and to promote closer relations with the institutions of the European Union
(EU Parliament, EU Commission, Committee of the Regions
) based on the expertise and the results obtained by the networks or by encouraging new types of collaboration.
- Defend the role and participation of local authorities in the Barcelona Process-Union for the Mediterranean
, the new Neighborhood Policy and overall within the Mediterranean partnership.
- Seek to identify and promote concrete initiatives in favor of peace in the Middle East, conflict prevention (“Peace Keeping”), intercultural dialogue, regional integration processes and development throughout the entire region, leading to long-term exchanges and partnerships between territories (North-South, South-South).
- Engage in dialogue and take into consideration the work and proposals of civil society, in particular, economic actors, academics, and community associations.
- Construct a more stable and prosperous Mediterranean space.
Mediterranean Council: It is made up of elected local officials in positions of responsibility in European networks active in the Mediterranean, in trans-Mediterranean networks or national associations of local authorities South and East of the Mediterranean. It includes representatives of local authorities from countries where there are no structured networks and may be open to actors of the civil society during its meetings.
Bureau: The first bureau of the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG was established in the Commission’s meeting during the World Council of UCLG held in Marrakech on Monday October 30, 2006. On the basis of a rotating tripartite presidency it was composed of elected members representing the three shores of the Mediterranean: for Europe: Mercedes Bresso, President of the Piedmont Region (Italy), for the Maghreb: Omar El Jazouli, Mayor of Marrakech (Morocco) and for the Middle East: Abdel Mounim Ariss, Mayor of Beirut (Lebanon). Mister Jean-Claude Gaudin
, Mayor of Marseille and Mister Michel Vauzelle
, President of the Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur Region were the vice-presidents.
Following the renewal of the mandate of the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG at the World Congress of Mexico in November 2010, a new bureau will be constituted soon.
The Commission’s Headquarters and the Technical Secretariat are located in Marseilles.
- Capitalizing on and disseminating knowledge and expertise in local and territorial management, urban development and decentralized cooperation—in a multilateral framework—by relaying calls for proposals, projects, or ideas for the implementation of innovative forms of cooperation.
- Providing technical assistance to Mediterranean project leaders (local authorities and their networks and associations): assistance with legal, administrative, and financial aspects of the implementation of projects of local authorities and their networks.
- Carrying on the technical assistance over the long term through the implementation of tools that will contribute to the visibility and evaluation of activities of local authorities: website, database, technical data, newsletter.
- Carrying out action research on Mediterranean issues and publication of work aimed at practical applications, particularly the creation of groups of experts who may work on specific problems and/or geographical areas.
- Organizing technical workshops and training on topics chosen by local authorities and their networks.
• November 20, 2008 : Debate on the involvement of local and regional authorities in Euro-Mediterranean policies, Marseille (France).
• May 25 & 26, 2009 : Regional seminar for local authorities - Balkans : “Methods and tools for the development of territories”, in Sarajevo
(Bosnia and Herzegovina).
• October 9, 2009: Conference on territorial attractiveness in the Mediterranean, within the Mediterranean Economic Week, Marseille (France).
• November 23 & 24, 2009 : International conference on the Contribution of local and regional authorities to the Water Strategy of the Union for the Mediterranean, Lyon
(France).
• 29 November - 4 December 2010 : Mediterranean Economic Week, Marseille (France)
United Cities and Local Governments
United Cities and Local Governments is an umbrella organisation for cities, local governments and municipal associations throughout the world...
.
Within United Cities and Local Governments, the Interregional Mediterranean Commission is at the junction of three regional sections: Europe, Africa, and the Middle East/West Asia. The Mediterranean occupies a special place in UCLG due to the large amount of direct members in the three regions North, South, and East of the Mediterranean and because of the many cooperation initiatives that connect local authorities and the common policies for regional development. Following the Med Urbs program, a “network culture” of trans-Mediterranean local authorities was created in the Mediterranean, reinforced by the Euro-Mediterranean partnership: Medcities
Medcities
Medcities is a network of Mediterranean coastal cities created in Barcelona in 1991 at the initiative of the Mediterranean Technical Assistance Programmes...
, the network of Euromed cities (previously the Euromed group of Eurocities
Eurocities
EUROCITIES is the network of major European cities.The EUROCITIES network was founded in 1986 by mayors from six large European cities:* Barcelona, Spain* Birmingham, United Kingdom* Frankfurt, Germany* Lyon, France* Milan, Italy* Rotterdam, Netherlands...
), the Standing Committee for the Euro Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities
Euro Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities
The Euro Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities , was created in 2000 to promote dialogue and development between local and regional authorities in the Euro-Mediterranean area....
(COPPEM), the Europe-MENA Urban Network, Latin Arch
Latin Arch
Latin Arch or Latin Arc is a name coined for the littoral around the northwestern Mediterranean Basin, which stretches from the bottom of the Italian Peninsula at Malta, along the eastern coast of Sicily, the west Italian coast, Southern France, the eastern Spanish coast, finishing at Gibraltar,...
, the Inter-Mediterranean Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), and the European network of local authorities for peace in the Middle East (COEPPO) are some of the networks that intersect with a variety of networks of civil society, universities and initiatives of the private sector. It appeared that the three regional sections of UCLG together could reinforce exchanges and encourage taking into consideration the specific interests of local Mediterranean authorities, whether on matters related to Euro-Mediterranean relations or on strategic issues like decentralization
Decentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
, urban development, or the environment, particularly access to and water management
Water management
Water management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources. In an ideal world. water management planning has regard to all the competing demands for water and seeks to allocate water on an equitable basis to satisfy all uses and demands...
.
Within the “Mediterranean” context, the Mediterranean Commission brings added value as vital support to a dynamic process that will make possible:
- Providing visibility and legibility to the numerous initiatives of local authorities in the Mediterranean.
- Creating the necessary conditions for the actors of these initiatives to meet in order to share know-how and experiences, to avoid scattered and compartmentalized actions, and by doing so, to optimize their impact in the field; encouraging particularly North-South and South-South dialogue and knowledge exchanges.
- Gaining recognition of the importance of the local institutional sphere as designers, managers, and leaders of development policies that are the closest to the citizens, in a region where governance indicators show it is urgent to bring centers of power closer to the population.
- Bridging the gap between elected representatives and local decision-makers in the Mediterranean who due to longstanding conflicts, economic difficulties and cultural stereotypes stifle the feeling of sharing a common Mediterranean or Euro-Mediterranean destiny.
- Promoting adequate consideration of political Mediterranean issues from the perspective of local authorities: peace in the Middle East, conflict prevention (“Peace Keeping”), intercultural dialogue (North-North, North-South, and South-South) regional integration processes (Union of the Arab Maghreb), etc.
History
The creation of a Mediterranean Commission within UCLG is not a new idea.It was suggested in 2001 during the joint meeting in Tunis of the World Federation of United Cities and the International Union of Local Authorities (FMCU/IULA), before the unification congress of Paris in May 2004. During the congress in Paris, the President of the French Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region, the mayors of Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
and the founding and honorary presidents of UCLG relaunched the idea of a Commission suggesting it could have its headquarters in Marseille. The principle of a Mediterranean Commission was adopted by the Executive Council in São Paulo and the creation of the Commission was ratified during the World Council of Beijing in June 2005.
On May 18, 2005 a meeting was held in Marseille. Major local authorities of the Mediterranean and their national or international networks were invited to participate or to contribute in writing to the meeting during which a first definition of a “Mediterranean Commission” of UCLG was prepared, including its members, objectives, and a tentative agenda.
Milestones of the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG:
May 2006: A technical secretariat is set up in Marseille, financed by the City of Marseille and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, with the support of Cités Unies France and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
November 2006: Constitution of the political organs representing the three shores of the Mediterranean with a three-year mandate. Omar EL JAZOULI, Mayor of Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, becomes the first President of the Mediterranean Commission
October 2007: The mandate of the Mediterranean Commission is renewed during theSecond World Congress of UCLG in Jeju.
February 2008: Mercedes Bresso
Mercedes Bresso
Mercedes Bresso is an Italian politician and former President of the Piedmont Region. She is a member of the Democratic Party . After her election as governor of Piedmont, she resigned from the office as Member of European Parliament. She is a Grand Officer of the Italian Republic...
, President of the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
Region, becomes the second President of the Mediterranean Commission.
22 & 23 June 2008: Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean.
June 2009: Abdel Moumen ARISS, Mayor of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, becomes the third President of the Mediterranean Commission.
17 to 20 November 2010: The third UCLG Congress, held in Mexico, sees the renewal of the mandate of the Mediterranean Commission for three years.
Objectives
The political scope of the Mediterranean Commission establishes UCLG as the largest framework for direct political exchanges between local elected representatives in the Mediterranean respecting a North-South balance that undertakes to:- Promote local and regional autonomy and the institutional reinforcement of local authorities South and East of the Mediterranean, as well as their national networks or associations. To this end, the Commission favors structuring local authorities through its support to national associations of elected officials and local authorities of the South or by fostering their creation.
- Assure direct exchanges between the many different actors on common issues at Mediterranean scale, for example, the organization of the Permanent Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean, an opportunity for dialogue and a special occasion to amplify the voice of Mediterranean local authorities and to allow exchanges between Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean politicians and actors.
- Develop decentralized cooperation and initiatives advocating common values that respect Mediterranean specificities.
- Engage in dialogue with donors of State and multilateral funds (French Development Agency, Bretton Woods Institutions, United Nations agencies, investment bank funds), and to promote closer relations with the institutions of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU Parliament, EU Commission, Committee of the Regions
Committee of the Regions
The Committee of the Regions is European Union's assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities with a direct voice within the EU's institutional framework....
) based on the expertise and the results obtained by the networks or by encouraging new types of collaboration.
- Defend the role and participation of local authorities in the Barcelona Process-Union for the Mediterranean
Union for the Mediterranean
The Union for the Mediterranean is a multilateral partnership that encompasses 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin: the 27 member states of the European Union and 16 Mediterranean partner countries from North Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans...
, the new Neighborhood Policy and overall within the Mediterranean partnership.
- Seek to identify and promote concrete initiatives in favor of peace in the Middle East, conflict prevention (“Peace Keeping”), intercultural dialogue, regional integration processes and development throughout the entire region, leading to long-term exchanges and partnerships between territories (North-South, South-South).
- Engage in dialogue and take into consideration the work and proposals of civil society, in particular, economic actors, academics, and community associations.
- Construct a more stable and prosperous Mediterranean space.
Organisation
Technical Committee: The technical committee consists of the heads of the principal European networks working in the Mediterranean, trans-Mediterranean networks, national associations of local authorities South and East of the Mediterranean, and representatives of national, European, or international institutions working in the Mediterranean.Mediterranean Council: It is made up of elected local officials in positions of responsibility in European networks active in the Mediterranean, in trans-Mediterranean networks or national associations of local authorities South and East of the Mediterranean. It includes representatives of local authorities from countries where there are no structured networks and may be open to actors of the civil society during its meetings.
Bureau: The first bureau of the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG was established in the Commission’s meeting during the World Council of UCLG held in Marrakech on Monday October 30, 2006. On the basis of a rotating tripartite presidency it was composed of elected members representing the three shores of the Mediterranean: for Europe: Mercedes Bresso, President of the Piedmont Region (Italy), for the Maghreb: Omar El Jazouli, Mayor of Marrakech (Morocco) and for the Middle East: Abdel Mounim Ariss, Mayor of Beirut (Lebanon). Mister Jean-Claude Gaudin
Jean-Claude Gaudin
Jean-Claude Gaudin is a French politician. He has been Mayor of Marseille since 1995 and Vice-President of the Senate since 1998; additionally, he has been Vice-President of the Union for a Popular Movement since 2002.-Early life:...
, Mayor of Marseille and Mister Michel Vauzelle
Michel Vauzelle
Michel Vauzelle is the president of the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur since 1998. He is a member of the Socialist Party and was Minister of Justice in the Pierre Bérégovoy government in 1992–1993....
, President of the Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur Region were the vice-presidents.
Following the renewal of the mandate of the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG at the World Congress of Mexico in November 2010, a new bureau will be constituted soon.
The Commission’s Headquarters and the Technical Secretariat are located in Marseilles.
Members
The Mediterranean Commission is open to members of UCLG and to thematic or general networks of Mediterranean local and regional authorities. Territorial authorities that are not members of UCLG and that wish to join the Commission may do so by sending a written request to the president of the Commission.Activities
In its technical dimension, the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG does not seek to be an additional network nor an additional operator. By becoming a center of resources, on a Mediterranean scale, for projects, procedures, and mechanisms concerning territorial authorities, the Mediterranean Commission offers an overview of strategies and opportunities in the region. It brings closer the supply and the needs in the cooperation process by:- Capitalizing on and disseminating knowledge and expertise in local and territorial management, urban development and decentralized cooperation—in a multilateral framework—by relaying calls for proposals, projects, or ideas for the implementation of innovative forms of cooperation.
- Providing technical assistance to Mediterranean project leaders (local authorities and their networks and associations): assistance with legal, administrative, and financial aspects of the implementation of projects of local authorities and their networks.
- Carrying on the technical assistance over the long term through the implementation of tools that will contribute to the visibility and evaluation of activities of local authorities: website, database, technical data, newsletter.
- Carrying out action research on Mediterranean issues and publication of work aimed at practical applications, particularly the creation of groups of experts who may work on specific problems and/or geographical areas.
- Organizing technical workshops and training on topics chosen by local authorities and their networks.
Meetings
MEETINGS• November 20, 2008 : Debate on the involvement of local and regional authorities in Euro-Mediterranean policies, Marseille (France).
• May 25 & 26, 2009 : Regional seminar for local authorities - Balkans : “Methods and tools for the development of territories”, in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
(Bosnia and Herzegovina).
• October 9, 2009: Conference on territorial attractiveness in the Mediterranean, within the Mediterranean Economic Week, Marseille (France).
• November 23 & 24, 2009 : International conference on the Contribution of local and regional authorities to the Water Strategy of the Union for the Mediterranean, Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
(France).
• 29 November - 4 December 2010 : Mediterranean Economic Week, Marseille (France)