The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, met today with UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany to discuss the Organization’s main priorities and the contribution Italy intends to continue to provide with a view to strengthening its role globally in promoting culture, education, science, and dialogue between peoples.
During the meeting, the Undersecretary reaffirmed Italy’s strong support for UNESCO, confirming our country’s commitment through both mandatory and voluntary contributions to the Organization’s programs. The importance of the activities of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (BRESCE), based in Venice, was also highlighted, as well as the success of innovative initiatives such as the “Sea Beyond” programme, implemented with the contribution of Prada to promote ocean education and the protection of marine ecosystems.
Ample space was devoted to the topic of UNESCO World Heritage. Undersecretary Tripodi stated: “Italy, which has the largest number of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, considers the protection and promotion of cultural heritage a shared responsibility of the international community. For this reason, we wholeheartedly support the strengthening of the World Heritage Centre and are ready to provide our expertise to address emerging challenges and promote increasingly effective, inclusive, and sustainable management of UNESCO sites.”