Civil society voices to shape the next phase of the Pact for the Mediterranean
23 July 2026 | Conference | English | Brussels
On 23 July, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA), in collaboration with the IEMed and the Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality II (MDRE II), will bring together civil society representatives in Brussels for a new round of consultations on the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean.
The Pact is built on the principles of co-ownership, co-creation and shared responsibility. With the first iteration of its Action Plan now entering implementation, this second phase of consultations — following those held ahead of the Pact’s launch — turns to a more concrete question: how civil society can help shape the practical rollout of specific initiatives on the ground.
The day will open with a plenary session, with remarks from Francisco Gaztelu Mezquiriz, Director for North Africa at DG MENA, and Roger Albinyana, Managing Director of IEMed, followed by a framing session with Juan Nicolas, Team Leader of Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality II, and Gemma Aubarell, Director of IEMed’s Culture, Gender and Civil Society Department.
Participants will then split into three parallel focus groups, each exploring how civil society knowledge can inform a specific initiative under the Pact’s Action Plan: community preparedness and disaster-risk awareness under Mediterranean Disaster Preparedness; safe and effective community engagement under MED-SECURE; and inclusive entrepreneurship, social economy and decent job creation under StartUp4Med. Each session brings a dedicated facilitator and rapporteur to guide the discussion and report back to the closing plenary.
Close to 80 civil society organisations, social economy actors, youth and women-led organisations, research institutions and regional networks from across the Mediterranean are expected to take part — reflecting the breadth of actors the Pact aims to engage as it moves from design into implementation.
Speakers
Francisco Gaztelu
Director for North Africa DG MENA
Roger Albinyana
Managing Director IEMed
Juan Nicolás
Team Leader of Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality II
Gemma Aubarell
Director of the Culture, Gender and Civil Society Dept. IEMedOrganised by
In collaboration with
