15th UfM Regional Platform on Water approves three strategic documents and makes significant progress with the Draft Ministerial Declaration on Water
Barcelona, 5-6 November 2025 – The 15th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water (RPWater-15) brought together UfM Member States, regional partners and stakeholders at the UfM headquarters in Barcelona to advance the implementation of the UfM Water Agenda and prepare the ground for the Second UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water, scheduled for 24-25 March 2026 in Rome, Italy.
The meeting was organised back-to-back with the Kick-Off Meeting of the 6th Mediterranean Water Forum, co-organised with IME (Institut Méditerranéen de l’Eau) and ONE Water Committee Italy, reinforcing synergies between policy dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement at regional level.
RPWater-15 was chaired by the two Co-Presidencies, European Commission (DG ENV) and Jordan. The meeting gathered representatives from 18 UfM Member States, including Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria, and Türkiye. Technical and financial partners, as well as observers, were also in attendance, reflecting the inclusive nature of the UfM Regional Platform on Water.
In the opening session, Spain as the host country welcomed participants and reaffirmed the importance of collective action to address growing water challenges in the Mediterranean. The European Commission highlighted key policy developments, including the EU Water Resilience Strategy, the New Pact for the Mediterranean, and the upcoming UN 2026 Water Conference. Jordan underlined the strategic importance of the meeting on the road to Rome, with a particular focus on sustainable finance, investment coordination, private sector engagement and civil society participation.
The UfM recalled progress since the First UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water (2017) and announced the preparation of a Regional Action Plan on Water for 2026–2030, in line with new UfM guidelines and regional priorities.
Key outcomes and approvals
Meeting participants welcomed progress achieved since RPWater-14 and took a number of important decisions to strengthen the policy and strategic framework of the UfM Water Agenda. In particular, they:
- Approved the Strategy for the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus in the Mediterranean Source-to-Sea Continuum;
- Approved the UfM Recommendations on Water Finance, building on the work of the UfM Working Group on Water Finance and Investment (WG-WATFIN);
- Approved the UfM Regional Strategic Framework for the Digitalisation of the Water Sector;
- Welcomed continued efforts by UfM Member States, partners and the UfM to advance the Water Agenda and the UfM Financial Strategy for Water.
Participants also welcomed the UfM’s presentation of the initial concept of the “Rome Initiative” and requested further development of the initiative ahead of the Ministerial Meeting.
Advancing preparations for the Rome Ministerial Meeting
Italy presented the state of preparations for the Second UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water, confirming its organisation in Rome on 24-25 March 2026.
UfM Member States held a closed session to discuss the third draft of the Ministerial Declaration on Water. Substantial progress was made, with several paragraphs agreed and closed. Further discussion has continued through two additional Ad Hoc drafting meetings, organised online by the UfM.
Looking ahead: key milestones
RPWater-15 also served as a platform to exchange information on major upcoming regional and global water events, including in 2025 the World Water Congress, and in 2026 the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, the COP31, the Cairo Water Week and the UN Water Conference, and in 2027 the 11th World Water Forum and other international water events.
As follow-up, the UfM will:
- Organise any necessary Ad Hoc Meeting on the Ministerial Declaration;
- Develop a draft concept note for the Rome Initiative;
- Prepare a draft Regional Action Plan on Water following the Ministerial Meeting;
- Advance work on regional country dialogues under the WG-WATFIN framework.
The next meeting of the Regional Platform on Water (RPWater-16) is expected to take place in 2026, with UfM Member States invited to express their interest in hosting.
Through these outcomes, RPWater-15 reaffirmed the central role of regional cooperation in addressing water security, resilience and sustainability challenges across the Mediterranean.
