Insights

International Board of Advisers Meeting in Palermo

.

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.

News

The Mediterranean in a Changing World

The keynote speech by HRH prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, delivered at the opening of Med-Or's international conference "Palermo, a Crossroad of the Mediterranean"

Read the news
News

Med-Or Italian Foundation: The international three-day gathering opens in Palermo with the meeting of the International Board.

The meeting of the International Board of the Med-Or Foundation was held in Palermo. Activities will continue on 18 and 19 September with the event “Palermo, Crocevia del Mediterraneo” featuring addresses by Ministers Piantedosi, Bernini, and Giuli.

Read the news
Projects

Med-Or Talks: Premiere Episode Featuring Bernardino Leon

We’re thrilled to launch the very first episode of Med-Or Talks.

Discover the project