Barcelona, 22 October 2025 — The 10th Meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean’s (UfM) Regional Platform on Trade, Investment and Industry convened on 21 October 2025 at the UfM Secretariat in Barcelona, bringing together senior officials and experts from across the region. Discussions focused on regional integration, sustainable trade, investment and industrial cooperation, and were followed by a technical field visit to the Port of Barcelona. Co-chaired and inaugurated by Mercedes Bonet, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission Department of Trade and Economic Security (DG TRADE), and Rami Hammad, Director at Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply of… read more
21–22 October 2025, Cairo. Around 80 regional stakeholders – including women entrepreneurs, innovation hubs, representatives of women-led cooperatives, research institutions, national institutions, donors, investment funds and financial institutions and international organisations – gathered in Cairo for the Regional Stakeholder Dialogue and Training on Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the MENA Agro-Food Sector through Social and Technological Innovation. The event, organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) with the financial support of AECID, and in collaboration with CIHEAM, the FAO Near East and North Africa Regional Office, the American University in Cairo (AUC) Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), and the… read more
Three-day UfM meetings in Brussels (21–23 October) advanced the Regional R&I Agenda and fed inputs toward a possible second Ministerial Declaration. Working Groups on Researcher Mobility and Open Data and the 2nd R&I Funders’ Coordination Meeting progressed proposals on access to infrastructure, mobility and science diplomacy, and alignment of funding. The 31st UfM Regional Platform on Research and Innovation, co-chaired by the European Commission and Jordan’s Higher Council for Science and Technology, reviewed strategic initiatives including the Research Scalability Strategy, MEL mechanism and FUTURE4PRIMA. The Innovation Fair, co-organised by the European Commission, the UfM and the African Union, drew 500+… read more
Malta, 13–15 October 2025. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), with the support of the German Development Cooperation, organised the “From Research to Business” conference to advance research valorisation as a driver of innovation, job creation and sustainable growth across the region. Held in partnership with the European Commission and Xjenza Malta, with technical support from MIMIR, the event underscored the growing importance of translating scientific knowledge into marketable solutions and employment opportunities in the Mediterranean. The opening session took place at the margins of the UfM High-Level Conference on Employment and Labour, which gathered over 200 participants. Opening remarks… read more
Cairo, 13-14 October 2025. The 6th EU–UfM Annual Conference on Water Finance and Investment in Cairo, the largest-ever gathering on water finance in the Mediterranean, has called for stronger engagement from commercial and development banks to accelerate investments in water resilience across the region. Organised jointly by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the European Commission in the framework of Cairo Water Week, the Conference has firmly established itself as the leading regional platform to address financing challenges in the water sector. This year’s edition brought together nearly 50 speakers and over 200 participants from governments, financial institutions, international organisations and civil society to… read more
Valletta, 14 October 2025. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) convened the 19th UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour in Valletta, Malta, bringing together national focal points from 23 UfM Member States, Social Partners and regional stakeholders to take stock of progress and set priorities for the forthcoming UfM Action Plan on Employment and Labour 2026–2028. The meeting notably marked the resumption of Syria’s participation in the UfM, a development highlighted by participants as an important step for inclusive regional dialogue. Held back-to-back with the UfM High-Level Policy Conference on Employment and Labour on 13 October, the Platform reviewed achievements… read more
The UfM High-Level Policy Conference on Employment and Labour embodied the multi-stakeholder mindset that guides collective regional efforts under the umbrella of the UfM to build consensus on sectoral regional agendas a co-design and co-deliver concrete value with the aim of unlocking the regional potential in terms of human capital. The UfM Region faces several employment-related challenges in the aftermath of major socio-economic and geopolitical disruptions, but several initiatives and best practices from the region can inform our collective efforts going forward. Valletta, 13-14 October 2025. The UfM High-Level Conference on Employment and Labour was held on 13 October 2025… read more
29 September – 2 October 2025, Tirana – The city of Tirana, Albania, hosted the 2nd edition of the UfM Med Youth Lab, where 58 young leaders from 14 Euro-Mediterranean countries came together to exchange, connect and co-create solutions for a more inclusive, sustainable and united region. The event was organised by the UfM with the support of German Development Cooperation (GIZ), in partnership with Anna Lindh Foundation, European Institute of the Mediterranean , and Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes and with the support of the Albanian Ministry of State for Youth and Children and the National Youth Agency of Albania. Building on… read more
1 October 2025, Cairo. The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) hosted the 9th Annual Conference of Mediterranean Central Banks under the theme “Harnessing Innovation and Integration for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in the Mediterranean Region.” Organised in partnership with Banco de España, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the event brought together central bank governors from across the Euro-Mediterranean region, policymakers, academics and representatives of international financial institutions. Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Meltem Büyükkarakaş, warned that only stronger integration… read more
A High-level Dialogue at the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) headquarters gathered national authorities, international organisations, and regional disability organisations to push forward a common agenda for the socio-economic inclusion of persons with disabilities. Participants discussed the foundations of a Euro-Mediterranean Disability plan, drawing on the findings of a recent study on socio-economic inclusion in the region. 23 September 2025, Barcelona. People with disabilities in the Mediterranean face systemic exclusion, with unemployment rates often exceeding 70% and limited funding for disability programmes. While these challenges may mirror those of other regions, the Mediterranean’s heterogeneity and the stark socio-economic disparities between… read more
