UfM Member States Prepare New Action Plan on Employment and Labour for 2026–2028

Valletta, 14 October 2025. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) convened the 19th UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour in Valletta, Malta, bringing together national focal points from 23 UfM Member States, Social Partners and regional stakeholders to take stock of progress and set priorities for the forthcoming UfM Action Plan on Employment and Labour 2026–2028. The meeting notably marked the resumption of Syria’s participation in the UfM, a development highlighted by participants as an important step for inclusive regional dialogue.

Held back-to-back with the UfM High-Level Policy Conference on Employment and Labour on 13 October, the Platform reviewed achievements under the 2022–2025 Roadmap implementing the 5th UfM Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour (Marrakech, 18 May 2022).

Delegations commended the effective delivery of the Roadmap, which focused on three overarching priorities: promoting employment creation and entrepreneurship to generate more and better jobs; improving access to employment for all, particularly for vulnerable groups, to foster more inclusive labour markets; and strengthening workforce preparedness and adaptability through skills development and lifelong learning.

Participants were introduced to a new Online Tracking Tool that stores and visualises monitoring data and trends thematically and geographically to support evidence-based policymaking.

The meeting also reviewed progress within the UfM Community of Practice, including outcomes from the first cohort on Youth Employment in the Southern Mediterranean (with an adopted charter), and introduced the second cohort — Supporting Transition from Education to Employment Readiness (STEER) — to reinforce pathways from education to the labour market.

In a dedicated session, members discussed the scope and implementation modalities of the UfM Action Plan on Employment and Labour 2026–2028 and its accompanying roadmap, reaffirming their commitment to advancing decent work, skills development and inclusive growth across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Resources:

• The UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour 
• 5th UfM Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour (Marrakech, 18 May 2022)
• Cross-County Report: Results from the 2nd monitoring exercise of the priorities of the 5th UfM Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour (10 September 2025) Click here for the French version.
• Illustration booklet: Implementation of the 2022-2025 Roadmap implementing the 5th UfM Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour.