On Wednesday 12 December 2012 a video message from Minister for Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi will open the international conference “Centrality of the person and defence of human rights in the contemporary world” at the foreign ministry in Rome, organized by the Internministerial Committee on Human Rights (CIDU) of the MFA in collaboration with the International Volunteer Service for Development (VIS) and the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Italy’s principal active sector NGO.
The conference will also open with speeches by the Hon. Pierferdinando Casini, the Hon. Vincenzo Scotti and Senator Pietro Marcenaro, and the closing words will be offered by Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Steffan De Mistura. Director of CIDU Minister Giego Brasioli will moderate.
The conference concludes the third cycle of meetings on the theme “The promotion of human rights: from theory to practice” launched last year with the aim of more deeply analysing the most topical of themes concerning the defence of human rights from domestic and international standpoints.
Participants will include the students enrolled in the schools of Political Science, Justice, Economics and Humanities of Rome’s various universities, as well as of the Italian Society for International Organisation (SIOI). An innovative formula will offer approximately the 200 university students the possibility to examine major human rights issues along with learned professors, government officials, journalists and representatives of the civil society. Panel discussions will be held in which Italian and international experts will review the themes of civil defence in areas of conflict, the protection of women’s rights and freedom of religion.
Journalists and camera operators interested in covering the initial plenary session and closing speeches are asked to apply for accreditation by completing the interactive form available at the link http://mae.accreditationsystem.info/ITA/Indice.asp to which all required documentation can be attached in digital format.
If in exceptional cases it is not possible to complete the online accreditation procedure, applications in writing on company letterhead and signed by the director of the organisation concerned—indicating name, surname, date and place of birth, number of a valid ID document and qualification—should be sent by fax to the Press Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (tel. 063691.3432 fax 06.3691.2122).
Accredited members of the press will be admitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Via Macchia della Farnesina entrance – according to the following timetable:
· from 9:15 to 9:45 for the initial plenary session
· from 15:45 to 16:15 for closing speeches
