Parliamentary delegations from around the Mediterranean will be meeting in Malta from 17 to 19
September 2008 for the final stage of the Standing Committee’s calendar in preparation of the
Annual Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to be held in the
Principality of Monaco in November.
Over seventy parliamentarians from 21 Mediterranean countries out of the 25 Member States of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean will be convening in Malta to debate and
endorse the high level reports and resolutions which were produced according to the indications
emerging from the Assembly meeting held in Malta in November 2007.
In early 2008 the Standing Committees have set up a number of working groups under the form
of Ad hoc Committees and Special Task Forces with the participation of parliamentarians from a
number of Mediterranean National parliaments. The nine reports and resolutions dealing with
Free Trade, Gender issues, Middle East, Dialogue among Religions, Energy, Climate Change,
Terrorism, Integrated Resource Management (water) and Migrations are the result of a collective
effort with substantive contributions emerging from the debates between parliamentarians from
the North and the South of the Mediterranean.
This round of meetings of the Standing Committees is in itself the conclusion of the first cycle of
activities since the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean established its Secretariat
Headquarters in Malta at the end of last year. During 2008 a number of sessions for the Special
Task Forces and the Bureau were organized and hosted by the national parliaments in France,
Greece and Morocco. Also in July PAM President, the Hon. Radi Abdelwahid (Morocco) and
Vice President the Hon. Rudy Salles (France) were invited to participate at the Paris Summit for
the launching of the Union for the Mediterranean, with President Sarkozy directly referring,
during the conference, to the important, unique and crucial role of the PAM in Mediterranean
parliamentary diplomacy.
The Committee meetings will build on these positive steps which have enriched the significance
of a truly Mediterranean initiative which is in the privileged position to discuss itself within itself
and to consider in depth the issues of common interest and concern. The three Standing
Committees will be preparing the final proposals to be adopted by the Plenary Session in order to
provide the necessary guidance and an updated strategy plan for the activities to be undertaken
until 2012 and also for the launching of the Mediterranean Charter as well as the Mediterranean
Day on 21st March of every year to come.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean has also been approached by a number of
International Organisations who have offered their support and proposed to organize together a
number of activities on issues related to the environment, migrations, trade and finance. A
number of senior representatives from these organisations have also addressed the delegates
during the meetings in Malta and the other countries.
The key speakers addressing the 3 Standing Committees in Malta (17-19 Sept. 2008) according
to the working agenda are:
Mrs Asma Chraibi, Counselor to the Minister responsible for the Moroccan
community abroad
Mr. Peter Cordina, Director General of the Maltese Civil Protection
Dr. Agostino Miozzo, Director of External Relations of the Italian Civil
Protection
Mr. Alessandro Ortis, President of the Italian Regulatory Authority for Electricity
and Gas and President of the Association of the Mediterranean Regulators for
Electricity and Gas (MEDREG)
The Hon. Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Minister of Justice and Home Affairs of Malta will
address the Standing Committees on issues related to political challenges in the Mediterranean.
The Hon. José Junqueiro - Head of Delegation of the Portughese Parliament will be handing over
the Cannes International Prize for Water and Cooperation to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives of Malta, the Hon. Dr Louis Galea. The prize was awarded to the Republic of
Malta in recognition of the commitment to and involvement in the establishment of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. Mr Junqueiro received the award on behalf of
PAM for Malta during the 10th International Symposium on Water held in Cannes, France, in
June.