15th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water

29-30 September 2025, Ankara (Türkiye) – The UfM Ministerial Declaration on Water (Malta, 27^th April 2017), called for “a Union for the Mediterranean Water Agenda to enhance regional cooperation towards sustainable and integrated water management in the UfM region” and mandated the UfM Regional Platform on Water (previously known as the Water Expert Group, WEG), under the guidance of the UfM Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), and in consultation with regional institutions, donors and non-governmental actors of the UfM region, to “elaborate and implement the UfM Water Agenda”.

The UfM Senior Officials’ Meeting endorsed the UfM Water Agenda on 17^th December 2018. The UfM Water Agenda includes:

• the UfM Water Policy Framework for Actions 2030, a strategic framework to guide the work of the WEG up to 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) horizon, and
• the UfM Financial Strategy for Water, a strategic document that aims to facilitate increased financing of investments that contribute to water security in the Mediterranean region while enhancing the financial sustainability of the water sector.

Recall of main conclusions of the 14th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water

The 14^th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water took place in Lisbon (Portugal) on 5-6 June 2024. Meeting participants:

• reviewed efforts by UfM member states, technical and financial partners, and the UfM Secretariat to implement the UfM Water Agenda;
• discussed the conclusions of the workshop on climate resilience in Mediterranean countries organized under the Protocol on Water and Health and welcomed further cooperation with the Protocol;
• discussed the draft regional strategy for the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem nexus;
• approved the Terms of Reference of the UfM Working Group on Water Finance and Investment;
• welcomed the UfM Study on the Digital Transformation of the Water System in the Mediterranean;
• supported the organization of the second UfM ministerial meeting on water in autumn 2025;
• provided guidance for more effective working arrangements of the Regional Platform on Water and its working groups.

Second UfM Ministerial Meeting

In the second semester of 2024, the UfM Secretariat in consultation with the co-Presidency (Jordan and EU) developed a concept note for the organization of the Second UfM Ministerial Meeting, and the SOM approved the organisation of the Second UfM Ministerial Meeting. In February 2025, the UfM Secretariat organised an Ad Hoc Meeting of the Regional Platform on Water to discuss the preparations for the Ministerial Meeting and the Ministerial Declaration. The Ad Hoc Meeting welcomed Italy´s proposal to host the meeting in Rome. In the following months, the UfM Secretariat and Italy identified 24-25 March 2026 as the best dates for the Ministerial Meeting. A zero-draft of the Ministerial Declaration was discussed at the Ad Hoc Meeting. A full draft was shared in May, and UfM member states provided comments over the following 6 weeks. A revised draft will be shared in advance of the RPWater-15 meeting.

Kick-Off Meeting of the 6^th Mediterranean Water Forum: Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum

In 2023, the 13^th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water (RPWater-13) was organized back-to-back with the 1^st Regional Roundtable on the WEFE Nexus. This model worked well, allowing access of RPWater members to in-depth discussions on a relevant topic, and generating efficiency gains in the organization of international events. In 2024, RPWater-14 followed the same model and it was organized back-to-back with a workshop hosted by the Government of Portugal on the UNECE/WHO Protocol on Water and Health in Mediterranean countries. In 2025, RPWater-15 will be organised back-to-back with the Kick-Off Meeting of the 6^th Mediterranean Water Forum: Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum (hosted by the Government of Turkiye and organised by IME) which will take place on 30^th September (afternoon) and 1^st October (morning). Participants in RPWater-15 are welcome to join the Kick-Off Meeting.

Aim and objectives

The overall aim of the 15^th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water is to continue supporting efforts by UfM member states to increase water security in the Mediterranean region through the implementation of the UfM Water Agenda and the UfM Financial Strategy for Water.

The specific objectives of the Meeting are:

1. To review progress at national level in the implementation of the UfM Water Agenda, including the UfM Financial Strategy for Water, since the 14^th meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water.
2. To review efforts to support the implementation of the UfM Water Agenda, including the work of the UfM Secretariat and technical and financial partners.
3. To approve the inclusion of three strategic guidance documents in the Ministerial Package.
4. To discuss, and eventually approve, the draft Ministerial Declaration on Water in the Mediterranean.
5. To review the preparations of the Second UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water.
6. To share information about the key global water events taking place in the next 18 months and discuss how the Regional Platform on Water could contribute to those events.

Logistical information

The 15^th Meeting of the Regional Platform on Water will take place in Ankara (Türkiye) at a venue provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The meeting will run from 9h00 on Monday 29^th September  to 14h00 on Tuesday 30^th September.

The UfM Secretariat will cover insurance, visa, flight, transfer and accommodation costs for sponsored participants according to standard UfM rules.  Lunch will be provided to all participants at the meeting venue on 29^th and 30^th September.