The Cities Alliance was one of the sponsors of a well-attended workshop to consider the challenge of urban development strategies in the Mediterranean.
The Cities Alliance was one of the sponsors of a well-attended workshop to consider the challenge of urban development strategies in the Mediterranean.
Held in Barcelona on 14-15 March, the workshop was organised by the City of Barcelona, Caisse des Dépȏts in Paris, the Centre for Mediterranean Integration, Medcities and the World Bank Institute.
The workshop took place against the backdrop of the current turmoil in the region, and included representatives from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The Cities Alliance was represented by Programme Manager William Cobbett and Research Analyst Federico Silva.
The event concluded with a final declaration calling for local empowerment in the Mediterranean.
“The ongoing unprecedented socioeconomic and political transformations in the Mediterranean Area, notably in Southern and Eastern countries, provide a unique historical opportunity,” stated the final declaration.
“While knowledge exists, there needs to be much more sharing of experiences, training of elected and technical officials – many of them new – and engagement of the private sector as well as the mobilisation of civil society.”
