| Name of the service | Service for Legal Affairs, Diplomatic Disputes and International Agreements |
| Competence and tasks | The Service for Legal Affairs, Diplomatic Disputes, and International Agreements provides legal assistance within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on issues of public international law, and domestic law. It conducts research on the legal aspects of international relations and, as such, coordinates the entire process of drafting international agreements, from negotiation to ratification. It oversees the collection of international agreements and treaties, also acting as the depositary of international agreements to which Italy is a party. It collaborates with Government Agents in defending Italy before international courts and maintains relations with the Government Agent before the CJEU. It also manages internal disputes involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and third parties, with some exceptions. Finally, the Service for Legal Affairs acts as the primary counterpart, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, with the State Attorney’s Office. |
| Name of the Head of the Service | Min. Plen.Stefano Zanini |
| Position | Head of the Service for Legal Affairs, Diplomatic Disputes and International Agreements |
| Telephone numbers | 06.36912771 06.36913462 |
| Email address | sgct.segreteria@esteri.it |
| Certified email address | contenzioso.segreteria@cert.esteri.it |
| Name of the office | Office I |
| Competence and tasks | International law issues and diplomatic disputes; protection of Italy’s rights before international courts, and collaboration with government agents, and international commercial arbitration. Advice and research on international law issues, including those covered by the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly; issues relating to reciprocity; legal aspects relating to international tribunals and courts; protection of Italian interests in international law disputes before international tribunals and courts and support for Italian government agents and/or the State Attorney’s Office, including with regard to international investment arbitration; in cases pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union and the General Court of the European Union, support for the Italian government agent and liaison with other interested Administrations through the management of specific coordination tools; in support of the government agent, management of communications to and with the Court of Justice of the European Union and with the Administrations involved; reporting, monitoring, and study of cases of great relevance to Italy pending before international courts and tribunals and the Court of Justice of the European Union; coordinating multilateral activities aimed at harmonizing and unifying private international and commercial law. |
| Name of the Head of the Office | Cons. Leg. Federico Maria Dimonopoli |
| Position | Head of the Office |
| Telephone numbers | 06.36912570 06.36912418 |
| Email address | sgct01@esteri.it |
| Certified email address | contenzioso.01@cert.esteri.it |
| Name of the office | Office II |
| Competence and tasks | Disputes with individuals and legal entities and legal advice on domestic law. Advice and analysis of legal issues of interest to the Administration in relation to national legislation; preparation and coordination, upon instructions from the competent Directorates General, of the Administration’s defence, including legal representation, against actions brought before Italian jurisdictions by external individuals and legal entities, as well as legal actions brought by the Administration against such entities, excluding disputes handled directly by other Directorates General; relations with the State Attorney’s Office; advice to the competent Directorates General for the management of disputes involving diplomatic and consular Missions abroad, including settlement procedures; advice for the definition of inter-institutional agreements under domestic law; management of litigation and arbitration costs. |
| Name of the Head of the Office | Cons. Amb. Paolo Mari |
| Position | Head of the Office |
| Telephone numbers | 0636912478 0636912729 |
| Email address | contenzioso2@esteri.it |
| Certified email address | contenzioso.02@cert.esteri.it |
| Name of the office | Unit for International Agreements and Treaties |
| Competence and tasks | Activities relating to the negotiation and signing of bilateral and multilateral international agreements, in coordination with the Ministerial bodies and offices competent territorially or by subject-matter, as well as with the relevant Administrations, in accordance with current Ministerial provisions regarding the signing of treaties and technical agreements; requesting and granting Full Powers to sign treaties, agreements and acts to be adopted at International Conferences; maintaining and managing the Treaty Archive of the Italian Republic and the ATRIO online portal; performing depositary functions in relation to treaties, conventions and agreements deposited with the Italian Government; ratification procedures for international agreements and treaties; providing information on international agreements and treaties to the Official Journal, Parliament, and the Court of Auditors. |
| Name of the Head of the Unit | Min. Plen. Daniela d’Orlandi |
| Position | Head of the Unit |
| Telephone numbers | 063691 3044 063691 2251 063691 2577 |
| Email address | sgct.unitatrattati@esteri.it |
| Certified email address | sgct.unitatrattati@cert.esteri.it |