Cranking up for action

摘要

Anyone waiting for the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) to become the new driving force for the development of sea motorways in the Mediterranean is going to have to be patient It's true that the organisation has had an operating arm in the form of the UfM Secretariat since March last year the secretariat has a home in Barcelona's Palacio de Petralbes. It is also true that the development of "sea and land highways" is one of the six priorities identified by heads of state and member governments at the organisation's launch in 2008. That said, however, the UfM secretariat is not yet truly operational and does not look likely to be so for some weeks yet, if not months. Even prior to the surprise resignation of Jordanian secretary-general Ahmed Masa'deh on 26 January, the organisation was already struggling to build up its headquarters staff as it is largely dependent on the goodwill of member governments in seconding the relevant experts to it.