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International Board of Advisers Meeting in Palermo
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International Board of Advisers Statement – Palermo, Sicily (19 September 2025)
Two years after our first meeting, which brought together authoritative voices, in their personal capacity, from 29 countries, the International Board of Advisers has reconvened in Palermo against a backdrop of worsening global insecurity. Two wars—one in the heart of Europe, the other in the Mediterranean—are stark signs of the end of the old world order. To achieve stable and lasting peace, a new order must be built, and without the South this will never be possible.
At a time when hard power seems to prevail, there is an increasing need for actors of effective soft power. Med-Or positions itself as such a platform, advancing dialogue and cooperation in a world too often dominated by the logic of “might is right.”
Italy and the Mediterranean are central to this mission. Geography and history alike make Italy a natural meeting point between the West and the South. This is also the deeper meaning of a long-term programme that, beginning now, will lead us to 2027 and the commemoration of the 1,200th anniversary of the Arabs’ arrival in Sicily.
Our vision is grounded in action. Through training initiatives, the Virtual Academy, and a new education plan for Africa, Med-Or is investing in higher education and skills across the broader Mediterranean. In this way, we are building practical forms of collaboration at the local level, sector by sector, from agriculture to cybersecurity.
As a further step, we are creating bilateral dialogue platforms across the wider Mediterranean, opening an office in Africa, and—in the near future—expanding to the GCC and Latin America. This choice to look toward South America reflects our broader commitment to the South and forms part of a long-term investment in mutually beneficial partnerships across regions.
