Organized in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean, the 2017 edition of the EMUNI annual conference was held on 5 and 6 April in Piran (Slovenia) and focused on the theme of youth, employability and entrepreneurship.
The conference focused on the role of higher academic institutions and consisted of three panels. The first analyzed the common challenges and opportunities for youth in terms of employment in the Euro-Mediterranean region, the second payed particular attention to the characteristics of the responsible upper academic institutions, and the third on the necessary knowledge and training for entrepreneurship.
In the discussion with participants of the second panel, Andreu Iranzo, Director of the Mediterranean Citizens’ Assembly Foundation, drew attention to two elements. In the first place, it is absolutely necessary to improve the functioning of the labor market to guarantee the integration of young people. To this end, the academic institutions of the Mediterranean area must cooperate more in this direction, along with other key actors, such as civil society organizations, public authorities, companies, trade unions, chambers of commerce, industrial organizations.
In this sense, if young people in the Mediterranean have similar preoccupations to those of citizenship in general (unemployment, housing, economic or environmental problems, climate change or even war, which is present in the Mediterranean), it is imperative to ensure Participation of the youth in the political decision-making process.