Mediterranean cooperation takes center stage as 500 stakeholders gather in Barcelona for the 30th Anniversary of the Barcelona Process

Barcelona, 27 November 2025. In the lead-up to the 10th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Forum marking the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, more than 500 participants took part in five thematic side events held in Barcelona. Bringing together civil society, regional and local authorities, experts and institutional partners, the meetings translated the UfM’s people-centred agenda – built by people and with people – into concrete exchanges on resilience, inclusive governance and sustainable development.

Building on the UfM’s call for a renewed, co-owned model of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, the side events placed civil society, regions and cities at the centre of policy discussions. They underlined that regional cooperation must begin with people, highlighting the growing role of multi-stakeholder alliances and communities of practice in designing and implementing solutions to shared Mediterranean challenges.

The Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Regions (22 November 2025), organised by the Government of Catalonia in collaboration with the UfM, gathered regional leaders to discuss how territories can help shape the evolving cooperation landscape under the New Pact for the Mediterranean. Participants worked towards a Joint Declaration to be presented to Ministers, reinforcing regions’ contribution to a stronger Euro-Mediterranean partnership (View photogallery | Read joint declaration)

At the 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Workshop on Wildfires (25-26 November 2025), over 100 operational services, civil protection authorities, scientists and policymakers exchanged lessons learned from increasingly severe wildfire seasons across the Mediterranean. Discussions focused on aligning early-warning systems, strengthening preparedness and response, and using innovative tools – from satellite services to AI-based modelling – to support coordinated risk management. (View photogallery)

The Euro-Mediterranean Civil Society Conference 2025 (26 November 2025) brought together over 100 civil society and institutional representatives under the theme “From vision to action: Reinforcing civil society engagement for an inclusive Mediterranean”. The event underlined that regional cooperation must begin with people and that civil society is not an accessory, but a central pillar of governance – moving from consultation to genuine co-design and co-implementation of policies. (View photogallery | Read Main Takeaways)

During the Conference of Mediterranean Cities – Barcelona+30 (26-27 November 2025), mayors and local authorities engaged with civil society, academia and socio-economic actors on how cities can drive Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. Building on three decades of the Barcelona Process, the conference explored future pathways to strengthen local engagement in regional agendas and initiatives, in synergy with MedCities and other networks. (View photogallery| See outcomes on the MedCities website)

Finally, the Regional Resilience and Recovery event (27 November 2025), organised by the UfM, examined how to build a more resilient Mediterranean through strategic partnerships, including with the Gulf region. Participants discussed an integrated resilience agenda linking prevention, adaptation and mitigation, and looked at ways to support sustainable post-crisis recovery and resource management in the face of interconnected shocks. (View photogallery | Key Takeaways)

Together, these five side events showcased a renewed Euro-Mediterranean cooperation architecture in which regional institutions, governments, local authorities and civil society work hand in hand. Their outcomes will feed into the 10th UfM Regional Forum discussions and into the implementation of the UfM’s new strategic vision for a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable Mediterranean.

DISCLAIMER

The declarations issued during the side events of the UfM Regional Forum do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Union for the Mediterranean. They represent solely the perspectives of the actors and stakeholders involved in each specific dialogue.