The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Emanuela Del Re, attended the UNESCO International Water Conference in Paris today.
The Deputy Minister participated in the panel on the promotion of a gender approach to water security, underscoring the need to focus special attention on women and girls in enforcing the right to access water. The Deputy Minister announced: “Water is the conditioning factor for the achievement of all the Agenda 2030 goals, including health. Diarrhoea is the second cause of death of children under five. The problem could be solved through a greater awareness that could drive governments and populations to take decisive action to reduce the risk of the transmission of diseases. This is the reason underlying Italy’s decision to propose the establishment of an International Day to Combat Diarrhoea in Children at the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva.” During the day, the Deputy Minister also participated in the launch of the project “Empowering Young People in Africa through Media and Communication”, which will be implemented by UNESCO thanks to a 3-million-euro financing from the “Fund for Africa”. “This is one of the many Italian initiatives – affirmed Deputy Minister Del Re – to raise awareness in Africa on the risks associated with migration, through a strategy aimed at tackling the deep-set cause of the phenomenon, assist migrants and refugees, facilitate their repatriation and offer development aid to boost the socio-economic development of the Countries most involved in migration flows.”
In the morning, the Deputy Minister went to the Quai d’Orsay for a meeting with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, with whom she shared a broad convergence of views on the issues concerning Africa, development and climate change, ahead of the forthcoming French presidency of the G7.
