Porto, 5-7 May 2025. The national focal points from 23 UfM Member States gathered over two successive days in Porto, Portugal, for the 18^th UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour, co-chaired by the European Commission (Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion – DG EMPL) and the Jordanian Ministry of Labour on behalf of the UfM Co-Presidency. The meeting of the Platform was the last ahead of the upcoming UfM Ministerial on Employment and Labour which will take place in October in La Valetta, Malta. As such, it served the threefold purpose of taking stock of the implementation of the 2022 Marrakech Ministerial Declaration, discussing the draft Ministerial Declaration for the Malta Ministerial, and learn about the current efforts underway in Portugal to promote job creation and tackle employment-related challenges.

The participants were introduced to the role of the Public Employment Service – IEFP- in promoting employment and vocational training in Portugal and were informed about the priorities of the Polish EU Council Presidency. A dedicated sessions addressed youth employment in the region, with a focus on the UfM Community of Practice on Youth Employment in the Southern Mediterranean, which yielded a charter that will be presented to the UfM Ministers in Malta, and which will enter a new phase under the title “UfM Community of Practice Supporting Transition from Education to Employment Readiness” (STEER) building on the success of the former Community. Study visits to learn about the Portuguese employment ecosystem saw the participants visiting Cesae digital – Centre for the Development of Digital Skills and MODATEX – Vocational Training Centre for the Textile, Clothing, Apparel and Wool Industry.