2024 Euromed Summit: The EESC puts youth involvement front and centre

President Oliver Röpke and EESC members participated in the 2024 Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions, a pivotal event held in Malta on June 18-19. The summit gathered around 120 participants, including representatives of a wide range of CSOs from the Euro-Mediterranean region, EU and MENA government representatives, guest speakers, and representatives from embassies.
The summit provided civil society organisations from Union for the Mediterranean Member States with a platform to debate common challenges and opportunities and to exchange best practices. This year's summit focused on several key topics, with a primary emphasis on youth involvement in social and civil dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Before the main Summit, an innovative pre-summit session allowed youth activists, researchers, representatives of youth committees, youth unionists, and youth representatives from international organisations to engage directly at eye level with the highest representatives of the EESC.
Throughout the event, participants developed specific recommendations that were later presented and debated, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to the discussed topics. The EESC prepared a draft opinion (REX/583) dedicated to youth involvement, which served as a foundation for the debates. This draft highlighted the crucial role of social and civil dialogue in addressing current and future challenges, underscoring the importance of inclusive and collaborative approaches in fostering sustainable development and resilience across the region. The outcomes of the debates and workshops will be integrated into the final version of the EESC opinion, that will be distributed and promoted among key stakeholders in the EU and its Southern Neighbourhood
Other themes of the Summit included climate change and water politics, focusing on empowering youth, women, and indigenous and local communities, as well as migration and skills, aiming to improve the recognition of skills and access to training and apprenticeships for migrants.