Regional trade integration and investment promotion have always been priority areas of action for the Union for the Mediterranean and are at the heart of the UfM Hub for Jobs, Trade and Investment (2022-2025), which represents the second phase of a fruitful partnership with the German Development Cooperation.

This year’s edition of the UfM Trade and Investment Forum, co-organised with the German Development Cooperation and made possible by the UfM Regional Platform on Trade and Investment, focused on means to address pressing cooperation needs. In this context, the discussions were guided by the pillars of the regional Team Europe Initiative “Jobs through Trade and Investment in the Southern Neighbourhood”, which was presented by the European Commission and the constituent EU Member States. The Forum provided a unique opportunity to discuss the initiative’s three priorities for the Southern Mediterranean per pillar: Sustainable Trade and Investment, Vocational Training and Skills, and Inclusive Entrepreneurship.

This year’s edition brought together over 100 participants comprising a broad spectrum of high-level speakers, partners and stakeholders from different sectors of the Euro-Mediterranean Region to discuss the current regional economic dynamics in a changing global context with a focus on three thematics, namely leveraging the job potential of trade and investment, inclusive entrepreneurship with a focus on youth and women, and bridging the skills gap. The key recommendations emanating from the UfM Trade and Investment Forum will feed into the preparation work for the coming UfM Ministerial on Trade, expected to take place in 2024.