Open consultation on the UfM future vision and mandate
Institutional
14 February 2025, Barcelona, Spain – In 2023, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) celebrated its 15th anniversary, a key moment that coincided with the launch of a reform process aimed at strengthening the organization’s role, efficiency, and impact.
Amidst shifting geopolitical and socio-economic dynamics in the Euro- Mediterranean region and considering that the UfM’s 2017 Roadmap has been to a great extent implemented, Member States agreed to launch a reflection on the organization’s future direction.
While various sectoral mandates—such as those related to urban development, women’s empowerment, environment and climate action – have been updated in recent years, the UfM’s overall mandate has not been reviewed in the last seven years.
This event presents therefore an occasion to explore which areas of cooperation should be prioritized in the next years, and how the UfM can play a unique role in future regional challenges, including post-crisis reconciliation and rehabilitation.
It will enable to engage partner institutions, stakeholders, researchers and experts, as well as the civil society from the Euro-Mediterranean region to the reflection, fostering a more inclusive and transparent approach to cooperation.
Furthermore, it will serve as a platform to advance discussions on the broader reform of the UfM, focusing on its role, mandate, and capacity for regional impact, and addressing critical questions raised by the UfM Co-Presidency and member states, while reinforcing the UfM’s role as a central hub for regional collaboration.
Through this initiative, the UfM seeks to engage a wider range of actors in its reform process, increasing their involvement and strengthening the organization’s central role in shaping the future of Euro- Mediterranean regional cooperation.
