20-21 February 2025, Rome, Italy – The 19th Plenary Session of Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), convened by H.E Enaam Mayara (Morocco), President of PAM, will be held on 20-21 February 2025 in Rome, generously hosted by the Speakers of the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies.
Over 300 delegates from national parliaments, international organizations, academia and productive sector, and diplomatic missions are expected to participate in the event, the most effective international parliamentary diplomacy platform for fostering dialogue and collaboration for the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions.
Following the address by the Presidents of the Italian Parliament, the Plenary Session will be inaugurated by H.E. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, and by Hon. Dubravka Šuica, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean.
The opening remarks will be delivered by H.E. Hon. Enaam Mayara (Morocco), PAM President, whose intervention will be followed by contributions from H.E. Hon. Mohamed Abou El Enein, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Egypt; Hon. Dejan Đurović, Head of the Delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro; H.E. Hon. Hamda Hassan A. Al-Sulaiti, Vice Chairman of the Shura Council of Qatar, and H.E. Dr. Mishaal Al-Salmi, Vice-President of the Shura of Saudi Arabia.
The Opening Ceremony will further be honored by the remarks of distinguished speakers, including video messages from H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and H.E. Paul R. Gallagher, Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States and International Organizations.
On 20 February, delegates will then engage in substantive debates on work accomplished by 3rd and 2nd PAM Standing Committees, chaired respectively by Hon. Pedro Roque (Portugal) and Hon. Giulio Centemero (Italy).
Over the course of the day delegates will debate four out of the six reports and draft resolutions, complemented by interventions from High-Level guest speakers, including: H.E. Ms. Simonida Kordić, Minister of Tourism of Montenegro; Ms. Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); H.E. Dr. Awadh Al Ketbi, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority; H.E. Hon. Alen Simonyan, President of the National Assembly of Armenia; Prof. Antonio Navarra, President of the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC); and Hon. Jean-Léonard Touadi, Special Coordinator for Parliamentary Alliances, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Additionally, the first day will feature a comprehensive update by Hon. Hon. Abdelouahab Yagoubi (Algeria), PAM Rapporteur on Artificial Intelligence, and Hon. Dherar Al Falasi (UAE), PAM Senior Advisor on Trafficking in Human Beings, on the ongoing PAM Campaign Against Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling.
Furthermore, Amb. Dr. Abdulsalam AlMadani, Chairman of the PAM Centre for Global Studies (CGS) and PAM Roving Ambassador for the GCC, will provide an update on the recent activities of CGS, including key developments related to the Summit on Trust and Reputation, a strategic follow-up to PAM’s participation in the UN Summit of the Future.
The first day of the Plenary Session will then conclude with the announcement of the 2025 PAM Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the objectives and mission of the Assembly.
On 21 February, the focus will shift to the work of the 1st Standing Committee on Political and Security-related Cooperation, chaired by Dr. Alia Bouran (Jordan), with the review of the two remaining reports and the corresponding draft resolutions.
The debate will benefit from the insights of esteemed guests, among others, H.E. Hon. Elisa Spiropali, Speaker of the Parliament of Albania; Mr. David Hotte, Team Leader of the EU Global Facility on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT); and Dr. Ian Tennant, Director of Multilateral Engagement at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GITOC).
Additionally, valuable contributions will be provided by Members of the European Parliament, Hon. Ruggero Razza (Italy), Chair of the EP Delegation for Relations with the Maghreb Countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, and Hon. Reinhold Lopatka (Austria), Chair of the EP Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula.
The session will include the official handover ceremony of the Presidency of the PAM Women Parliamentary Forum from Hon. Joana Lima (Portugal) to Hon. Maryam Bin Theneya (UAE).
At the upcoming Plenary Session, the results of the elections for the new PAM President and Bureau for the biennium 2025–2026, will be announced. //