20 February 2025, Rome, Italy – Following the presentation of the work of the 3rd Standing Committee on Dialogue among Civilizations and Human Rights, delegates convened to review the activities and priorities of the 2nd Standing Committee on Economic, Social, and Environmental Cooperation for 2025.
The session, chaired by Hon. Giulio Centemero (Italy), PAM Vice-President and President of the 2nd Standing Committee, featured insightful keynote addresses from high-level officials and experts. H.E. Hon. Alen Simonyan, President of the National Assembly of Armenia noted that Armenia, cooperates with the countries of the Mediterranean, acknowledging the importance of free movement of goods, services, people and capital for regional prosperity, while stressing the challenges posed by climate change, conflicts, and humanitarian crises.
Following his address, H.E. Ms. Simonida Kordić (Montenegro), Minister of Tourism of Montenegro referred to the Mediterranean as a venue for prosperity and cultural exchange. She particularly highlighted the role of the tourism sector, noting that tourism is a combination of many sectors which requires a strategic approach. Minister Kordic highlighted that Montenegro is increasingly digitalizing tourism, while further promoting regional cooperation through the project of “Destination Balkans”.
Further enriching the debate Hon. Jean-Léonard Touadi, Special Coordinator for Parliamentary Alliances at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided that parliamentary action is more necessary than ever to tackle hunger and malnutrition, which was further reaffirmed by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Amid the discussions, the delegates were presented with the Report and draft Resolution on Environment “Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Desertification: The Three Rio Conventions in Action and the Environmental Outlook in the PAM Regions”, by Sen. Simona Petrucci (Italy), PAM Rapporteur on Environment.
Sen. Petrucci expressed concerns that the Mediterranean region is a climate change hotspot, warming 20% faster than the global average, exacerbated by challenges including fossil fuel dependency, food insecurity, and the alarming rise of environmental crime, now the fourth-largest illegal activity worldwide. Emphasizing PAM’s commitment to combating desertification and supporting energy security and transition, Sen. Petrucci noted that the 3rd PAM Economic Parliamentary Forum, to be held in Marrakech, will contribute to advancing climate priorities, notably energy transition and environmental cooperation.
The Assembly then deliberated on the remaining report and draft resolution. Hon. Katya De Giovanni (Malta) presented the Report on “Challenges and Opportunities for Economic Growth in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf Regions 2024-2025” on behalf of Rejhana Derviševic (BiH), PAM Rapporteur on Economy, projected the Report on “Challenges and Opportunities for Economic Growth in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf Regions”,
Hon. De Giovanni highlighted that in 2024, the tourism sector has contributed considerably to the region’s economic development. However, she stressed that challenges such as climate change and conflicts have significantly affected economic growth, which remained sluggish in both the MENA region and Southern Europe. She expressed PAM’s firm belief in the need to reform international financial architectures and the need to include the needs of developing countries, while calling on PAM parliaments to take tangible steps to address economic and structural challenges, both nationally and internationally.
Following extensive deliberations and valuable contributions, both draft resolutions were unanimously adopted by consensus. //