Barcelona, 27 November 2015 – The Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders closed today its 9th edition in Barcelona. As in previous editions, the Mediterranean private sector represented by ASCAME, has been positioned in the regional political agenda to catalyst solutions that can answer accordingly to socioeconomic turbulence affecting the region. The three-day event, which has had record attendance with more than 1,500 entrepreneurs from 32 countries, has offered to participants a wide range of forums that have promoted the economic and human potential of the Mediterranean region.
MedaWeek Barcelona 2015
The Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders organized by the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME), the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), has been the occasion to launch the 20+20 Declaration, promoted by ASCAME along with 25 organizations from Europe, the Arab world and the Mediterranean, to give a new impetus to the Barcelona Process. Concrete economic initiatives such as the launch of a Mediterranean agency for tourism, an agency of SMEs in the region, a development bank for the Mediterranean and the promotion of the role of women and youth in the region, were presented with the objective of creating a Mediterranean economic area.
The recognition of the private sector as a key factor for the inclusive sociopolitical development of the Mediterranean was explicitly reiterated during the event. As Mr Mohamed Choucair, president of ASCAME, said at the opening ceremony of the event: “The best guarantee of peace and stability is the economic progress”. Hence, attract investment and stimulate economic diversification becomes urgent to stabilize the region, in the words of Hon. Mr Miquel Valls, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona.
North Africa, the main topic
Current challenges such as unemployment, job insecurity and low levels of social protection were mentioned by the political authorities and international organizations attending the inauguration ceremony, such as the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain, Jose Manuel Soria, or the Secretary-General of the UfM, Fathallah Sijilmassi. Both of them called for a joint action to address future challenges and realize the aspirations of the Barcelona Process and the European and Mediterranean Association to achieve regional peace and prosperity.
North Africa was the main topic of discussion, with countries such as Tunisia with a special session during the NABDF forum. In parallel, sectors that are now the growth engine of the region development were highlighted, such as the automotive industry, which lives its momentum in countries like Egypt. Likewise, the Mediterranean Week had the honour of hosting the launch of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Mediterranean, MH & RA. The II Mediterranean Solar Forum that brought together businessmen from Europe and the Mediterranean region provided a platform for shaping future projects called to generate more than 1 million jobs. For its part, the VII Mediterranean City Forum provided a platform to urge the private sector to participate in the development of the Mediterranean cities.
Other important forums
As the coordinator of ASCAME, Anwar Zibaoui declared to the more than 350 women present at the VII Mediterranean Women Entrepreneurs Forum co-organized with the Association of Federations and Associations of Mediterranean Businesswomen (AFAEMME), supporting entrepreneurial Mediterranean women has always been a priority for the Association. Undoubtedly, “we cannot advance the economic development of the region without the active participation of women,” Zibaoui declared.
Also, during these days the III Mediterranean Islamic Finance Forum took place with the collaboration of the largest organization for Islamic banks, CIBAFI. The forum stressed the importance of using the funds that Islamic banking, which currently has more than $ 2 trillion and has grown to 15% in recent years, offers to infrastructures and SMEs in the region. Also, the promotion of these finances in Spain and its future participation in a financial institution in the Mediterranean were analyzed.
Engaged for the Mediterranean
These days, ASCAME has also forged a compromise with the Red Cross, who in a joint initiative, asked the entrepreneurs to get mobilized for refugees.
In the words of Hon. Mr Puig, Minister for Business and Labour, Generalitat Catalonia, “Without economic freedom there is no progress or any security.” Therefore, in the framework of the Mediterranean Week, ASCAME wanted to honour the work of prominent businessmen in promoting the Mediterranean with the ASCAME Mediterranean Award. Some of the prize-winners were Mario Rotllant and Isidre Fainé, Chairman of CaixaBank.
ASCAME, which brings together more than 300 Chambers of commerce and industry of the Mediterranean, was created more than 30 years ago with the pioneering initiative to encourage economic cooperation in the Mediterranean. Years later, this strategic vision has been strongly reinforced. The Mediterranean Week has served to demonstrate that the Mediterranean is more vibrant than ever and that the private sector has much to offer in its promising future. As the Mediterranean Week’s slogan read, Together, going further.