On Friday, December 6, 2024, the 6th Ministerial Conference of the 5+5 Dialogue on Research, Innovation, and Higher Education took place in Lisbon, chaired by the Portuguese Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Mr. Fernando Alexandre, and co-chaired by Mauritania. The conference, titled “Fostering Integration for an Innovative, Inclusive, and Resilient Western Mediterranean Region: Science Diplomacy for Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Development,” brought together ministers of education, universities, and research, as well as heads of delegation from member countries of the 5+5 Dialogue and observer members of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Region (PRIMA), and the Union of Universities of the Mediterranean (UNIMED).
The conference concluded with the signing of the Lisbon Ministerial Declaration, which emphasizes the need to strengthen international cooperation in higher education, research, and development in the Western Mediterranean. It also highlights the importance of science diplomacy as a tool to empower youth and women and promote sustainable development. The Declaration calls for the promotion of scientific partnerships and missions to generate and implement effective solutions to the region’s ecological, digital, health, social, and innovation challenges. In this context, the ministers and heads of delegation welcomed the continuation of programs such as PRIMA, Horizon Europe, LIFE, and Interreg Next Med, among others, which are essential instruments of scientific diplomacy for the countries of the Western Mediterranean.
The Declaration reaffirms the necessity of creating collaborative networks specific to the Western Mediterranean to contribute to scientific diplomacy. To pool resources, the countries of the 5+5 Dialogue expressed their intent to coordinate investments through partnerships or joint initiatives.
Finally, the work plan to implement the Ministerial Declaration for the period 2024-2026 was approved. This event also marks the conclusion of the Portuguese presidency, which will be succeeded by Libya from 2024 to 2026. The Libyan authorities expressed their willingness to host the next Ministerial Conference on Research, Innovation, and Higher Education.