5-7 September 2023, Amman, Ramallah, Jerusalem - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) dispatched a large delegation to the Middle East on the first week of September, as decided at its 17th Plenary Session in Morocco last March.
The delegation consisted of 30 delegates, representing the national parliaments of Cyprus, France, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Qatar, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, and the PAM Secretariat.
PAM MPs visited Amman, Ramallah, and Jerusalem, and held a series of high-level meetings with top governmental and parliamentary officials, and the Heads of UN specialized missions.
Discussions focused on how recent developments in the region impact on the Middle East peace Process, and on identifying specific actions to support confidence building, prevent violence, improve the living conditions and the security of the civilian population, through the instrument of parliamentary diplomacy.
In Amman, the PAM delegation met with the H.E. Mrs. Kholoud Al-Saqqaf, Minister of Investment of Jordan, and Ms. Leni Stenseth, Deputy Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The President of the PAM Women Parliamentary Forum also met with Ms. Maha Ali, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, to address common issues that affect women in the PAM regions, in terms of promoting gender equality, economic empowerment, and social responsibility for childcare when women are at work.
In Ramallah, delegates had the opportunity to exchange views with H.E. Mr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, and H.E. Mr. Rawhi Fattouh, President of the Palestinian National Council.
In Jerusalem, the delegation met with H.E. Mr. Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Knesset, Mr. Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), and General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In addition, delegates had also the opportunity to discuss with the new members of the Israeli delegation to PAM.
All parties stress the role of PAM as a unique platform that ensure a constant and constructive dialogue between Israel and Palestine, and expressed deep appreciation for the efforts of the Assembly in facilitating the resumption of peaceful negotiations, working together with regional and international partners.
The elements gathered during the Mission represent invaluable inputs for the organisation, in 2025, of the second PAM international parliamentary conference on the Peace Process, as already done in Malta in 2009, in cooperation with the UN.
The Mission was preceded by the 50th Meeting of the PAM Bureau, convened by H.E. Mr. Enaam Mayara, President of PAM, and President of the House of Councillors of the Kingdom of Morocco, in Amman, and kindly hosted by the Senate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.//