6 June 2023, Rome, Italy – Convened by H.E. Enaam Mayara, the newly-elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), and President of the House of Councillors of the Kingdom of Morocco, the 49th PAM Bureau Meeting was kindly hosted in Rome by the Italian Parliament.
On that occasion, PAM Bureau members, PAM Special Rapporteurs, and invitees, met for an enlarged session to discuss current regional and international challenges and opportunities, which are at the very heart of PAM’s mandate.
Among the guests, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Alsheikh, Speaker of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia, and Dr. Jehad Abdulla Alfadhel, Second Deputy Chairman of the Shura Council of Bahrain, attended and contributed to the meeting. In Rome, the Parliament of Bahrain formally submitted its candidature to become Associate Member of PAM, and received the unanimous endorsement by the Bureau.
Following the Opening Session, Sen. Alia Bouran (Jordan), President of PAM 1st Standing Committee on Political and Security Cooperation, introduced the latest security developments occurring in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions, including an analysis of the current events in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans. In her intervention, she also mentioned the armed conflict in Sudan, and the increasing terrorist and criminal threats from the Sahel countries, which have a major and direct impacts on the PAM region.
PAM Bureau members also confirmed the fielding of high-level mission to the Middle-East in the next future, and expressed their support for UNRWA’s fundraising efforts.
Of particular interest was the intervention of President Mayara highlighted the absolute need for PAM to establish closer and structured cooperation with the countries of Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa, which
are the geopolitical extension of the Mediterranean area, and that with their proximity, must be associated and integrated into PAM activities.
Within the framework of the 1st Standing Committee, Hon. Dherar Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi (UAE), PAM Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Special Rapporteur on Woman and Children in Armed Conflict, introduced a report on the illegal trafficking of Captagon. This drug poses serious risks to the international community, since profits are used to finance criminal and terrorist networks in the MENA and Gulf regions, beyond the physical damages to the youth using it.
Hon. Giulio Centemero (Italy), President of PAM 2nd Standing Committee on Economic, Social and Environmental Cooperation, referred to the activities of the Committee to promote initiatives aiming at advancing energy transition, economic growth, development and integration in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions.
This includes the participation of PAM in the discussions to adopt the High-Seas Treaty, and in the 2023 OECD Global Forum on the Environment and Climate Change. Moreover, preparations to organize the Second Edition of the PAM Economic Forum have already begun. The event will be held in Marrakesh, hosted by the House of Councillors, next December. It will focus on energy transition, support to entrepreneurship, and food security.
A Bureau Statement on access to drinking and safe water in the Mediterranean region was also issued, on completion of a preliminary report presented by Hon. Gabriel Amard (France), PAM Rapporteur on Water.
Hon. Pedro Roque (Portugal), President of PAM 3rd Standing Committee on Dialogue among Civilizations and Human Rights, highlighted the work that PAM devoted to promote continuous dialogue between different cultures, religions and societies, which is key to achieving peace and prosperity in PAM countries.
During this session, Hon. Abdelouahab Yagoubi (Algeria), PAM Special Rapporteur on Artificial Intelligence (AI), presented the work that he has been doing monitoring the application of AI in a number of fields, including its use and implications in the field of energy efficiency.
On another important aspect of PAM activities, Hon. Joana Lima, President of PAM Women Parliamentary Forum (WPF), reiterated that the Forum is serving as a very dynamic platform to exchange policies and legislative provisions among PAM Members. This experience has been shared with PAM countries and partners, to ensure a coherent regional parliamentary strategy and further promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. The next conference of the WPF is expected to be held in 2024.
The Bureau Meeting was concluded by an intervention of Hon. Deborah Bergamini, member of the Italian Delegation to PAM, on behalf of Sen. Sen. Pier Ferdinando Casini, President of the Italian Group of the Interparliamentary Union.//