On Wednesday 12 December 2012, Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi will open the international conference at the Farnesina on “The Centrality of the Individual and the Protection of Human Rights in Today’s World”, with a video-message. The conference is being organised by the Inter-Departmental Committee for Human Rights (CIDU), which operates from the Foreign Ministry, in collaboration with Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS) and the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the principal network of Italian non-governmental organisations working in this field.
The conference will open with speeches by the Hon. Pierferdinando Casini and the Hon. Vincenzo Scotti, and by Senator Pietro Marcenaro. The conclusions will be presented by the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Staffan De Mistura. The discussion will be moderated by Minister Diego Brasioli, head of the CIDU.
The Conference is the closing stage of the series of meetings on “Promoting Human Rights: from theory to practice”. The initiative was launched in 2011 with the aim of examining the most current human rights issues through specific seminars, taking into account both the international and domestic contexts.
The meetings are attended by students following degree courses in the Faculties of Political Science, Law, Economics and Arts in Rome’s universities, and those organised by the Italian Society for International Organisation (SIOI). Through this innovative formula, about 200 undergraduates studying in Rome have been given an opportunity to study and debate the most important topical issues in the sphere of the fundamental rights. The meetings are held with university lecturers and, as required, by government officials, journalists and representatives of civil society engaged in this field. During the conference on 12 December the following issues will be addressed through discussion in thematic panels with prestigious Italian and international experts: protecting civilians in conflict regions; protecting women’s rights; and freedom of religion.
Journalists, photographers and TV crews interested in following the initial plenary session and the closing remarks should use the online accreditation system. Please complete the interactive form available at http://mae.accreditationsystem.info/ITA/Indice.asp to which all required documentation not already submitted must be attached in digital format. This includes a letter from their media organisation and, for foreign journalists in Italy, a note verbale).
If it is not possible to complete the online accreditation procedure, applications should be sent by fax to the Foreign Ministry’s Press and Institutional Communication Service (fax 06/3691.2122–tel. 06/3691.3432).
Accredited journalists, photographers and TV crews should use the entrance at “via della Macchia della Farnesina”, according to the following schedule:
· from 9.15 to 9.45 for the opening plenary session
· from 15.45 to 16.15 for the closing speeches.
