Following the signature of the Naples Charter within the “Memorandum of Understanding for Social Responsibility in the Mediterranean” between the Union of Mediterranean of Business Confederations (BUSINESSMED) and the Association Spazio alla Responsabilità, BUSINESSMED represented by its Program Manager and International Relations, Mr. Marco Cunetto, attended the 5th edition of the Mediterranean Forum of Shared Social Responsibility, organized in Naples from June 15th June 17th 2017.

The Mediterranean Shared Social Responsibility Convention is the only event in Italy oriented to the Mediterranean Area which promotes opportunities for discussion and dialogue in multi-stakeholder perspective between institutions, businesses and civil society actors, in the view of strengthening cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean area for the growth of a fair, cohesive and inclusive society.

The event, organized by Spazio alla Responsabilità in Naples, brought together eminent personalities and actors of European territorial economic development, such as the European Economic and Social Committee.

The event was also a great platform for the presentation of projects financed by the European Commission.

During the three-day event four main topics as well as specific issues have been touched via an informal format unmediated, among them:

• Transparency and legality;
• Innovation and sustainability;
• Sharing and participation;
• Inclusion and social cohesion.

During the opening session, BUSINESSMED’s intervention focused on “The pragmatic approach of a variable-geometry of Mediterranean projects: the private sector, social inclusion, employability, decent work and education in the Euro-Mediterranean region through the multi-stakeholder social dialogue platform “. The conference allowed the actors and institutions to revitalize the debate on the new European Neighborhood Policy and the upcoming challenges in terms of economic development and decent work.

In this effect, Mr. Cunetto, stressed the importance of the Naples Charter, a document which aims at guiding and engaging Euro-Mediterranean Stakeholders toward a Social responsibility approach.

This meeting was an opportunity for BUSINESSMED to strengthen institutional networking as well as a space for exchange with civil society actors, institutions and business actors community on both sides of the Mediterranean.