Representatives from employers' and workers' organisations from all across the Mediterranean met in Marseille (France) at 5th Social Dialogue Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean. The Forum, organised by the European Commission, focused, among others, on concrete practices of social dialogue, active inclusion, effective social protection as well as green and digital transitions, economic migration and brain drain.

The European Commission (Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) organised on behalf of the Union for the Mediterranean Co-Presidency, the 5^th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Social Dialogue Forum on 21-22 November 2023 in Marseille (France).

The two-day 5^th UfM Social Dialogue Forum gathered around 80 participants and started with two parallel bilateral North-South sessions of the employers’ and workers’ organisations, followed by common sessions on:

• Practice of social dialogue
• Green and digital transitions
• Active inclusion and effective social protection
• Economic migration and brain drain
• Regional Programming

Message from Commissioner Schmit

In his video message addressed to the participants, EU Commissioner in charge of Jobs and Social Rights, Mr Nicolas Schmit, emphasized that “Social dialogue is at the heart of the European social market economy. It fulfils a crucial role: it gives workers and employers a voice in policy making and in shaping the labour market. Social dialogue in itself is a very clear expression of democratic involvement”.

As regards the Mediterranean region, Commissioner Schmit stressed that: “The recognition of the role of social dialogue and of Social Partners have been at the core of the fifth Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial meeting on Employment and Labour, held in Marrakech in May 2022.

The result was a very ambitious and actions-related Ministerial Declaration. The Ministers of the region expressed their willingness to promote a timely and meaningful social dialogue, whether tripartite and bipartite, the freedom of association and collective bargaining.

By doing so together, they will better address the many challenges affecting the Mediterranean, such as the green and digital transitions, promoting democracy, decent work and social justice.

One of the key conditions for success is regular and quality exchanges between government authorities and the Social Partners organisations. It is also crucial for countries in the UfM region to invest in capacity building of the Social Partners”.

Background

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Social Dialogue Forum, held every three years, gathers representatives from employers' and workers' organisations from UfM partner countries, Euro-Mediterranean regional Social Partners’ organisations, as well as representatives from the UfM Co-Presidency, the UfM Secretariat, the European Commission and other experts.

Since 2010, the UfM Social Dialogue Forum contributes actively and positively to the establishment and development of a strong, independent and effective social dialogue, at the bi- and tripartite levels in the 43 UfM member countries.