In its latest Global Economic Prospects report, issued on 8 June 2020, the World Bank states that, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, global economy will shrink by 5.2 per cent this year, representing the deepest recession since World War Two, and triggering a dramatic rise in extreme poverty.

Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19 is an infectious condition caused by a new virus named SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2).

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a tremendous impact on our societies, notably with severe strains on our healthcare systems, dramatic consequences on our economies, and serious disruptions to our daily lives.

As part of the effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, many schools and universities were closed down so that students could stay at home and prevent further spread. According to UNESCO, as of 27 April 2020, approximately 1.292 billion “learners” have been affected due to school closures in response to the pandemic, representing 73.8% of total enrolled students in 186 countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for governments and parliaments to ensure not only the health of their citizens but also public service continuity. Aspects of economic stability, social responsibility, and political procedures have been affected since the first cluster of COVID-19 cases on December 31, 2019.

The sudden Covid-19 outbreak and an exponentially rising climate change are both posing unprecedented challenges to our planet and the international community at large.

The COVID-19 outbreak is not just an unprecedented threat to health. The current pandemic, in fact, is to be considered “a bigger economic threat than the financial crisis of 2008-9” as written recently on the Financial Times by Chief Economics Commentator, Martin Wolf. Also according to IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath, the World is sliding towards a “recession worse than the 2008 financial crisis”.

As the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean salutes the immense efforts to date to combat this crisis and urges that all – including migrants regardless of migratory status, refugees and displaced persons – are included in national and international efforts to mitigate and roll back the impact and consequences of the pandemic.

This paper provides information and analysis for PAM parliamentarians and the staff of PAM’s Members and Partners in relation to the latest state of knowledge and action with regard to vaccination on COVID-19, and also recommends core actions for them to consider to promote fair and equitable access, when a safe and effective vaccine becomes available.

Tourism, including its related supply industries and services, is one of the economic sectors first and most heavily affected by the COVID-19 in the Mediterranean region and in the whole world.

PAM approach to Climate-related Security Risks.

PAM activities on Human Rights-related issues.

PAM vision for future challenges: strategic actions for 2013-2017.

Working Paper on the Strategy and the Action Plan of the PAM 2008-2012 "Building on our common Mediterranean heritage".

PAM Instruments: Statutes, Rules of Procedure, Rules of the Standing Committees, Rules of the Secretariat.

The General Outline of PAM, the Parliamentary Forum of the Euro-Mediterranean Region.