REGIONS OF THE WORLD:
A FOUNDING ACT
As the Committee of the Regions celebrates
the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of the European Union in
Rome, the Regions show that they are not only focusing on
the commemorations.
On
the contrary, it is thanks to their participation in the European
adventure that they can play a pioneering role for a successful
globalisation in peace and justice. Indeed, Europe was the
first continent within which the Regions were able to get
involved with a trans-national presence and cooperation. It
is within the Union that they experienced the strongest recognition
from the States. It is also within this framework that, through
the structural funds, the most ambitious continental policy
of territorial solidarity that the World has known was created
and developed. All these achievements are the subject of much
interest from national and regional players from the public
sector, from Asia, Africa and America.
This
interest was apparent in Marseille, from 5th to 7th March.
At the invitation of Michel Vauzelle, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte
d'Azur Region and the CPMR Inter-Mediterranean Commission,
the CPMR and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
brought together 1200 players from all five continents during
the "First International Convention for a Regional and
Local Approach to Development". The European Union provided
strong support for this, through Commissioner Danuta Hübner,
the External Relations Director General, Eneko Landaburu,
and the President of the Committee of Regions, Michel Delebarre.
Many States from both the North and South of the planet, as
well as several United Nations Agencies participated in the
meeting alongside the Regional players. Substantiating the
framework agreement signed in June 2006 between the CPMR and
the UNDP, cooperation projects between European Regions and
Regions from other continents have been introduced: the struggle
against natural catastrophes in the Caribbean, regional economic
development in Morocco, support for the organisation of grouping
of Regions in Latin America…
This
need for the participation of the Regions in the global scene
could not be limited to one meeting...
Xavier
Gizard
Secretary General
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MARSEILLE
CONFERENCE:
video interview of Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner
in charge of EU Regional Policy
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Danuta
Hübner, European Commissioner in charge of EU Regional
Policy, present at the “First International Convention
for a Regional and Local Approach to Development”, hopes
the Regions will develop closer cooperation with Regions of
third countries. She acknowledged there is a lot happening through
cooperation, financial support and meetings like the one organised
by the CPMR in PACA with the coordination of the UNDP. Mrs Hübner
feels that globalisation has a diversified impact on Regions,
and the national and community level response is not enough,
which is why the proximity of partners you find at regional
level can help find good responses at regional level to the
global challenges.
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MARSEILLE
CONFERENCE:
video
interview of Bruce Jenks, United Nations Assistant Secretary
General
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Bruce
Jenks, United Nations Assistant Secretary General, believes
the energy, the commitment to regional solutions and the commitment
to looking at all levels of society is what is really important.
He believes the Regions bring the government close to the people
in many ways. Of the many different models, he does not think
that one should consider exporting one particular model, but
that the experience of different people is very valuable for
many people.
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MARSEILLE
CONFERENCE:
video interview of Michel Vauzelle, President of Provence-Alpes-Côte
d’Azur
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Michel
Vauzelle, President of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur,
feels that one model should not be exported or imposed on others.
Mr Vauzelle explains that there are many different cultures,
each with the right to have their own regionalisation, or non-regionalisation
model, which depends on the level of economic development. He
sincerely hopes that the door has been opened to globalisation
and to the creation, one day, of a large organisation of Regions
of the World.
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THE
CONTRIBUTION OF REGIONS TO THE EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY
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The
Regions of Asturias and Stockholm with ten other Regions from
the north and the south of Europe, under the coordination of
the CPMR (Forward Studies Unit), launched a project called “The
contribution of the Regions towards education, training and
employment Lisbon Objectives”...
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REGIONS
TOGETHER FOR EUROPE
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On
25 March 1957, the leaders of six European countries met to
sign a historical agreement that formed the basis of modern
Europe. Fifty years on, Regions from all over Europe celebrated
this milestone in Rome, the city that witnessed the birth of
the European Union....
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