UfM Concludes Youth Engagement Series Focusing on Social Inclusion and Participation
16 July 2024, Online – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) successfully held its third and final Youth Focal Points Network meeting, focusing on “Youth Engagement in Policies on Social Inclusion and Participation”.
The session began with opening remarks from the UfM Co-Presidency, represented by Mr. Fakhri Altwal from Jordan’s Ministry of Youth and Ms. Maria Teresa Castillo Campo from the EU Commission’s DG NEAR. Following this, UfM Deputy Secretary General for Social and Civil Affairs, John Paul Grech, delivered introductory remarks. Ms. Giulia Maria Ferraresi, Project Analyst in the same division, presented UfM’s efforts towards a Regional Agenda on Disability. Presentations were also given by Ms. Sarra Messaoudi, an NGO development practitioner and Regional Lead at MENA Coalition On Youth, Peace and Security, and Mr. Michael McLoughlin, a member of the EESC Ad Hoc Group on Youth and Head of Advocacy and Communications at Youth Work Ireland.
An open discussion ensued, aligned with the thematic priorities of the UfM Youth Agenda, where participants exchanged recommendations and best practices for promoting effective youth policy dialogue. Key points highlighted included:
- Recognition of young people as legitimate partners by policymakers, similar to other lobby groups.
- Necessity for youth to be equipped with skills for democratic participation, advocacy, and policy analysis.
- Need for accurate data on youth participation, particularly in the Southern Mediterranean.
- Integration of international youth networks into policy dialogue to ensure broader representation, including vulnerable groups.
- Implementation of ongoing engagement strategies beyond one-off events.
- Creation of safe spaces for young people to express themselves freely and receive feedback.
- Action-oriented policy dialogues to develop feasible initiatives.
As underscored by UfM Deputy Secretary General, John Paul Grech, about the importance of youth engagement: “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” This quote taken from Franklin Roosevelt encapsulates the UfM’s dedication to fostering youth involvement as a transversal component of all UfM priority areas of action.
Insights from this meeting, along with the previous two, will be compiled into a policy document. This document will be presented at the UfM Med Youth Lab, scheduled for 25-29 November 2024, in Fez, Morocco. The event is co-organised with the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez (UEMF) and supported by the German Development Cooperation.
More on the UfM Youth Focal Points Network Meetings
