The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) hosted the Youth Engagement for a Sustainable Mediterranean, an event co-organised with Egypt’s Mediterranean Youth Foundation, in collaboration with the Anna Lindh Foundation, IEMED and Casa Mediterráneo and sponsored by GIZ. 100 young people from some 20 Euro-Mediterranean countries discussed how to promote youth involvement in three critical areas: the green and digital transitions, employment, and social inclusion.

This forum for leaders, international and civil society organisations, and youths took place within the framework of the third edition of the Mediterranean Youth Academy, a four-day training programme from 6 to 9 November to involve young people in the response to these challenges.

Participants endorsed the UfM Youth Agenda: Call for Action, a set of proposals and recommendations for governments, international and regional organisations, and youth groups to reinforce the role of young people tackling major global challenges by 2030. Stemming from the quarterly working groups created following the adoption of the UfM Youth Strategy 2030 two years ago, the UfM Youth Agenda: Call for Action is structured around three (3) priority areas – Environment and Climate Action, Education and Employment, and Social Inclusion and Participation – and twelve (12) actionable steps.

These include items such as establishing a grant scheme to address environmental challenges, supporting soft skill training programmes, or creating a regional youth policy dialogue framework. The document also serves as an advocacy paper to mobilise resources and generate greater political interest in youth-related activities. An overview of the Youth Agenda’s main points can be found here.