The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) will hold the 11th Plenary Session in Porto, Portugal on 23 and 24 February 2017. The PAM Plenary will be hosted by the President of the Portuguese Parliament Mr. Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues.
The official opening ceremony will take place on the morning of Thursday 23 February with a Welcome note by Mr. Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal. PAM President Sen. Lhou Lmarbouh will address the PAM delegates and partner Parliamentary Associations and International Organisations. Hon. Renato Sampaio, Head of the Portuguese Delegation to PAM will be followed by a message from the Holy See and H.E. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.
The opening session will be followed by the 11th Statutory Meeting of the Standing Committees, for the adoption of reports and resolutions, and the election of the PAM new President and new members of the Bureau.
In the framework of the Standing Committees, the PAM parliamentarians will review and discuss the draft reports and resolutions on the priority issues for the Mediterranean area, among which, the ongoing crises and security challenges in the region, terrorism and violent extremism, Economic cooperation and Trade, Climate Change, Protection of Civilians, Mediterranean cultural heritage and the Promotion of Human Rights. To enrich the debates and provide inputs for the forthcoming activities of the Assembly, the participants will benefit from the interventions of decision-makers from the Portuguese government, the private sector and international organisations.