How does cooperation make societies more inclusive and resilient?

In 2025, the UfM advanced cooperation that strengthens inclusive, resilient societies by investing in people, addressing structural inequalities, and supporting those most affected by interconnected social, economic and environmental challenges.

Across the region, efforts focused on translating long-standing priorities into concrete mechanisms and partnerships. From the launch of the UfM Women, Peace and Security-Climate Network to initiatives supporting women in agri-food systems, cooperation increasingly addressed the intersection of gender, climate and economic resilience. At the same time, targeted actions promoted more inclusive labour markets, including advancing disability inclusion through a regional agenda and strengthening pathways to employment. Young people were placed at the centre of this approach, notably through the Med Youth Lab, where participants developed practical solutions to regional challenges while building skills, networks and opportunities for engagement.

When it comes to facing natural and man-made disasters, the development of the UfM Civil Protection Action Plan 2030, alongside the 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Workshop on Wildfires and the Regional Resilience and Recovery Conference, illustrated the growing emphasis on prevention, early warning and coordinated response to disasters that do not stop at borders. Together, these initiatives reflect a shift from dialogue to implementation – embedding social resilience as a core pillar of regional cooperation.

How does regional cooperation help create prospects for people and economies?

In 2025, the UfM strengthened regional cooperation to unlock economic opportunities, support job creation and foster more inclusive, sustainable growth across the Mediterranean.

Throughout the year, efforts focused on bridging the gap between policy and practice in labour markets and economic systems. The adoption of the UfM Action Plan on Employment and Labour 2026–2028 set a shared framework for job creation, skills development and improved access to employment, particularly for young people and vulnerable groups. Regional initiatives also brought education providers, employers and policymakers closer together to better align skills with market needs, including through dedicated dialogues on informality and the transition to formal employment.

Cooperation also advanced more inclusive economic participation, notably by supporting women entrepreneurs through targeted finance, capacity-building and regional networks, including the launch of a regional network of women’s business associations and the InspireHer Awards recognising innovation across the MENA region.

Beyond employment, the UfM advanced the region’s economic diversification agenda: a conference in Athens examined how tourism, which accounts for over 11% of employment across the Mediterranean, can generate quality jobs while remaining sustainable; the “From Research to Business“ initiative in Malta explored how scientific knowledge can be translated into innovation and growth; and the UfM Digital Transformation Conference in Bratislava examined skills, rights and the role of cities in a just digital transition. The year also saw the publication of the first Study on Governance Models of Mediterranean Ports, providing a shared evidence base for a sector that handles over 70% of the region’s freight traffic.

On trade and investment, the 7th UfM Trade and Investment Forum brought together over 120 participants to confront the structural barriers that continue to hold the Mediterranean back from its full economic potential, from regulatory fragmentation and insufficient investment readiness to the untapped opportunities of green energy and digital trade.

Published in 2025, the 2^nd UfM Progress Report on Regional Integration provides the most comprehensive, data-driven assessment of economic interconnectedness across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Its central finding is clear: while integration is advancing, it remains significantly below its potential – limiting growth, investment and job creation at a time when greater cooperation is urgently needed.

How does the Mediterranean act together on issues that no country can solve alone?

In 2025, the UfM reinforced regional cooperation to address shared environmental and climate challenges, advancing coordinated responses in areas where no country can have an effective impact alone.

Across the Mediterranean, efforts focused on strengthening resilience to climate-related risks while accelerating the transition towards more sustainable systems. On energy and climate, the 5th UfM Energy and Climate Business Forum in Kuwait City opened new channels for Mediterranean-Gulf cooperation on green investment, while the 6th Annual Conference on Water Finance and Investment in Cairo advanced a set of nine regional priorities to close the financing gap for water infrastructure across the region. In the blue economy, the Blue Mediterranean Partnership unveiled its first concrete investments — an offshore wind farm in Morocco, coral reef restoration in Jordan, and a wastewater treatment facility serving 1.5 million people in Alexandria — demonstrating how targeted financing mechanisms can translate regional ambition into bankable projects.

The UfM also elevated the Mediterranean’s voice on the global stage. At COP30 in Belém, the third edition of the Mediterranean Pavilion hosted 25 high-level events over 12 days, presenting the latest MedECC scientific findings, including projections that up to 20 million people in coastal areas could face permanent displacement by 2100, and advancing concrete tools such as the MedBank Toolkit to improve climate investment readiness across the region. The launch of the Girona Manifesto and the Euromed University Initiative for Climate Action further positioned Mediterranean universities as active contributors to regional climate resilience.

Together, these actions reflect a more connected and operational model of cooperation, linking policy frameworks with concrete tools to address the region’s most pressing global challenges.

Zoom on: GET-MED – Grounded Ecological Transition for the Mediterranean

GET-MED supports locally driven ecological transition across the Mediterranean, promoting sustainable practices in areas such as energy, water and land use. By connecting local actors with regional frameworks, it helps translate climate ambition into practical, community-level solutions.

Discover how cooperation shaped the Mediterranean in 2025 – through strategic decisions, regional partnerships and concrete action on the ground.