Leading mayors and governors from the Mediterranean region and the European Union have urged national, regional and local governments to work more closely together to help women and to prevent the radicalisation of young people. The two sets of policy proposals, adopted by the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) on 21 February, emphasise the responsibilities of local and regional authorities for delivering education and social infrastructure.

The reports – ” Women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean region ” and ” The role of the sub-national authorities from the Mediterranean region in addressing radicalisation and violent extremism of young people ” – are the latest in a series of recommendations adopted by ARLEM on issues that are critical to the sustainable development of the southern and eastern Mediterranean. In recent years, ARLEM has also adopted proposals on, for example, climate change , the energy transformation , water management and waste management .

Welcoming the two reports, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, co-chairman of ARLEM and President of the European Committee of the Regions, said: “Social exclusion, poverty and marginalisation inside and outside the EU feed violent radicalisation. Only through more cooperation and more investment can we reduce inequality, create jobs for young people, and promote community integration, all of which is only possible if there is action at the local level. It is also critically important that the local leaders gathered here today – from Morocco to Germany, and from Ireland to Albania – support women’s empowerment and condemn all forms of abuse. This requires increasing women’s participation in politics and business and taking action to protect women. The starting point must be increasing educational opportunities for all.”

Read More

Press Release

European Committee of the Regions