Conference of Mediterranean Cities – Barcelona+30: Empowering local action for regional transformation

26-27 November 2025, Barcelona City Council and Palau de Pedralbes, Barcelona – In the spirit of its previous editions, the Conference of Mediterranean Cities will bring together mayors and representatives of local authorities to engage with civil society, academia, and socio-economic actors. The conference will serve as a platform to share experiences, align priorities, and advocate for a stronger role for cities in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

Building on 30 years of the Barcelona Process, the Conference will explore future pathways to strengthen the engagement of local authorities in upcoming regional agendas and initiatives. Held alongside MedCities’ Annual General Assembly, the event aims to maximise engagement and foster inclusive, forward-looking collaboration across the region.

Without the active engagement of local authorities, no policy can truly reflect the lived realities of communities. As the essential link between strategy and action, they translate global and regional frameworks into concrete, context-sensitive initiatives. Their proximity to citizens ensures that policies are not only executed, but also adapted, monitored, and improved in response to real needs and feedback. They have consistently strengthened what unites the region, acting as bridges for peace and solidarity.

The recent appointment of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, together with the review of regional cooperation strategies—most notably the development of a new Pact for the Mediterranean and the reform process undertaken by the Union for the Mediterranean—signals renewed commitment. Local authorities must be integral to this process to ensure a balanced, equal, and pragmatic partnership. This conference is a timely opportunity to build on more than three decades of decentralised cooperation across the Euro-Mediterranean area, and to advocate a strengthened role for local government in shaping the region’s future.

Objectives of the event

• Promote high-level political dialogue among Euro-Mediterranean policy-makers, civil-society actors, academia, and socio-economic stakeholders that contributes to the review of the Barcelona Process and the subsequent reform of the Union for the Mediterranean.
• Provide an overview of local diplomacy and cooperation initiatives and their contribution to regional integration, showcasing the impact of regional networks and advocating enhanced decentralised cooperation.
• Highlight common challenges and shared solutions promoted by Mediterranean local authorities, and reflect on how best to align regional strategies with local implementation.

Organisers

Barcelona City Council, MedCities, European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and the Diputació of Barcelona, in collaboration with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)

Agenda