The Ministerial Conference
- 2013 Rabat Declaration
- 2015 Madrid Declaration
- 2017 Tunis Declaration
- 2019 Rome Declaration
The 5+5 Dialogue is a sub-regional forum for dialogue between ten Western Mediterranean countries and it promotes cooperation in science, technology and higher education.
The Maghreb countries involved are Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, and the European nations are France, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.
The members agree on the importance of research and higher education for the development of knowledge, the promotion of technologies and national innovation systems for the purpose of attaining socioeconomic growth and bearing the different challenges that the region faces, such as, unemployment, economic underdevelopment, environmental degradation, shortage of natural resources and serious scarcity of water and energy.
The Ministers in charge of Research, Innovation and Higher Education of the 5+5 Dialogue member countries are committed to foster promotion of research, innovation and higher education for social stability and economic growth. Many countries are engaged in processes of reforming their political, economic and social systems to stimulate investment, to encourage initiative and to foster strong economic partnerships that are essential throughout the Western Mediterranean region. The 5+5 Dialogue member countries need to revitalize their economies to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth for the purpose of developing disadvantaged regions and enhancing job creation in line with international labour market standards. Therefore, research, innovation and higher education play a key role in job creation. Moreover, for this reason, there is a need for a solid framework of cooperation and conducive synergies among the ten countries.
Within this framework, the 5+5 Dialogue 5+5 countries are encouraged to continue cooperation with the Secretariat of the UfM and build on possible synergies with relevant UfM initiatives and projects such as the Mediterranean Initiative for Jobs (Med4Jobs), the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes and the EMUNI University.
The 5+5 Dialogue Ministerial Conference on Research, Innovation and Higher Education celebrated in March 2015 in Madrid (Spain) has agreed on the creation of a “High Level Group”, later renamed as “Group of Senior Officials” (GSO). The GSO is in charge of the implementation at the national level of the work plan activities and met once a year to define and discuss further step to support the initiatives.
Please, find below the updated list of the Senior Officials and the Observers.
Denis Despreaux, Director of the Europe and International Mission for Research, Innovation and Higher Education, Ministry for Higher Education and Research, MEIRIES
Antoine Weexsteen, International Project Manager Africa, Near / Middle East, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Ministry for Higher Education and Research, MEIRIES
Taleb -Khyar Djeh Cheikh Maleinine, Director of Scientific Research and Innovation, Ministry of Higher Education for Scientific Research
Cheikh Saad Bouh Camara, President of the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya (UNA)
Ahmed Hammouch, Director, Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation, Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Training, MENFPESRS-SECESRS
Abdelouahid Ezzarfi, Chief Division, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, MENFPESRS-SECESRS
Ikabrou Mohamed, Programme Manager,Human Development, Arab Magreb Union, AMU
Basma Soudani, Chief Officer and Director for Political Affairs, Arab Maghreb Union, UMA
Maria Cristina Russo, Director of International Cooperation, Research and Innovation Directorate General
Laura Hetel, Project Officer, Southern Mediterranean, Research and Innovation Directorate General
Itaf Ben Abdallah, Senior Advisor, Higher Education and Research Divison, Union for the Mediterranean
João Lobo, Project Analyst, Higher Education and Research Divison, Union for the Mediterranean
The Secretariat is based in Trieste (Italy) at the premises of the Italian National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, and it is supported by the Italian Minister Education, Universities and Research (MIUR)