In May 2026, the Steering Committee of Together for the Med gathered in Rome to take stock of these three years of collaboration and look ahead to the future of the partnership.
Since its creation, Together for the Med has been driven by a simple conviction: the Mediterranean Sea cannot be protected in fragments. Its ecosystems, species and coastal communities are deeply connected; and so must be the people and organisations working to safeguard them.
Over the past three years, with the partnership’s secretariat supported by the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, this conviction has taken shape through a more structured, partner-led network. A renewed Charter, an active Steering Committee and a clearer common direction have helped carry forward he collaborative spirit first built under the MAVA Foundation.
These three years were also marked by action: partners met across the region, developed joint initiatives, strengthened communication, supported high protection efforts, and laid the foundations for future collaboration around marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries and local stewardship.
Among other achievements, Together for the Med has worked through a partnership of 50 Mediterranean organisations across 15 countries, supported by a 6-member Steering Committee. We helped develop 8 Innovation Labs, mobilised 21 partners around a bycatch reduction proposal, gathered hundreds of people around several events on advancing OECMs and community-led conservation at UNOC, and launched a Technical and Financial Support Programme supporting 9 beneficiaries across 9 sites and 6 countries.
In May 2026, the Steering Committee gathered in Rome to take stock of these three years of collaboration and look ahead to the future of the partnership.
A unique alliance across the Mediterranean
Together for the Med has grown into a trusted platform for Mediterranean marine conservation, bringing together local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, marine protected area practitioners, fisheries actors and regional organisations.
The partnership has strengthened its role as a bridge between local field action and regional conservation priorities.
In a region where conservation efforts are often fragmented by geography, language, policy frameworks and institutional mandates, Together for the Med creates the connective tissue needed for Mediterranean-wide action.
We occupy a distinctive place in the region because we connect levels of action that are often disconnected. We convene organisations from all shores of the Mediterranean, and we link local initiatives with Mediterranean-scale conservation goals, connects science with practice, and brings conservation organisations, fisheries stakeholders, research institutions and regional bodies around shared objectives.
This makes Together for the Med more than a knowledge-exchange network.
Together for the Med is a platform for added value and synergy, helping partners move from isolated efforts to collective Mediterranean projects with stronger visibility, coherence and potential for impact.
Two priorities for healthier marine ecosystems
Together for the Med will still focus on two strategic priorities.
Strengthen marine protected areas
The partnership supports more effective, better managed and more socially accepted protection, especially where conservation gaps remain significant. Its approach combines technical assistance, stakeholder engagement, participatory governance, policy support and sustainable financing.
We helped structure work on highly protected areas, supported the identification of potential sites across the Mediterranean, contributed to a successful project in Cyprus to strengthen two no-take zones and two Fisheries Restricted Areas, and launched a HPA Technical and Financial Support Programme for ten beneficiaries across nine sites in six Mediterranean countries.
Reduce fisheries impacts on biodiversity
This priority includes especially bycatch of vulnerable species such as sea turtles, seabirds, marine mammals, sharks and rays. Together for the Med works with small-scale fishing communities to test and scale practical solutions, improve monitoring, support policy uptake and ensure conservation measures are realistic and fair.
We built on the legacy of MAVA-funded projects MedByCatch, INCA, SafeSharks and Dolphin Depredation by developing a major bycatch reduction proposal with 21 partners, alongside a parallel initiative for Northern Cyprus to ensure that conservation actors facing geopolitical constraints could still be part of regional efforts.
Together, these actions show how the partnership turns shared priorities into coordinated projects, practical support for local actors and stronger foundations for Mediterranean-wide impact.
A partnership valued for trust, exchange and action
Partners value Together for the Med because it provides something individual organisations cannot easily build alone: a safe space for knowledge exchange, a trusted coordination mechanism, and support to develop joint Mediterranean initiatives.
During the Steering Committee, partners highlighted knowledge exchange and support for multi-partner project development as two of the most important functions of the coordination team.
We help local and regional actors share experience, identify common priorities, build credible consortia and transform ideas into structured programmes.
A shared motivation to protect the Mediterranean
Partners highlighted the importance of working across the whole Mediterranean, supporting smaller organisations, strengthening links with small-scale fishing communities and learning from peers and experts.
Our strength lies not only in technical expertise, but also in trust. We connect people, institutions and territories around a common goal. Partners also emphasised that policy influence is most meaningful when it contributes to concrete change on the ground, including stronger management, better implementation and more effective conservation measures.
Carrying the partnership forward
Together for the Med has co-designed a 2026 roadmap and a post-2026 strategic framework with its Steering Committee, while developing two concept notes around its core priorities: marine protected areas and fisheries impacts on biodiversity.
Our Technical and Financial Support Programme for marine conservation NGOs offers a practical model for the future: targeted support to local sites, combined with regional learning, peer exchange and tools that can be adapted across different Mediterranean contexts.
Building on these foundations, the Steering Committee discussions pointed towards a pragmatic direction: a lighter but more targeted partnership structure, centred on marine biodiversity, collaboration with small-scale fishing communities, project development, knowledge exchange and continued coordination.
A collective thank you
Together for the Med warmly thanks the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy for supporting the partnership’s secretariat over the past three years.
We also thank the members of the Steering Committee for their guidance and commitment: ACCOBAMS Secretariat, BlueSeeds, Enalia Physis Environmental Research Centre, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Marilles Foundation, and Yolda Initiative, which joined the Steering Committee in 2025.
Finally, we thank all partners who continue to bring Together for the Med to life through their expertise, field action and shared commitment to protecting Mediterranean marine biodiversity.
Together for the Med is, above all, a partnership of people and organisations committed to the same sea. Its next chapter will build on trust, cooperation and a shared determination to protect Mediterranean marine life and the coastal communities that depend on it.