The First “Italy-Africa” Ministerial Conference will start on Wednesday 18 May at 9:30 at the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome. Over 40 ministers from as many African countries, their Permanent Representatives to the UN in New York and representative of about 15 Regional and International organizations of the United Nations System will gather in Rome to attend the conference.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella will open the work during the plenary session, followed by Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Paolo Gentiloni, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chad (rotating presidency of the rotating Council of the African Union) Moussa Faki Mahamat. Italy’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, will close the conference. Speeches will be delivered also by the President of the African Union Commission Dlamini Zuma, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui, African Union Commissioner for Energy Elaham Ibrahim and FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva.
The conference will be organized into a general session and four thematic panels:
- Economic Sustainability: Italy-Africa, the challenges for a common growth
- Social and environmental sustainability: Environmental and social development; 2030 Agenda and a new integrated approach
- Migration Sustainability – For a new model of dialogue
- Peace and security– Peacekeeping, peacebuilding and African ownership
The following are the points of interest for the press during the day:
- 9:30 – opening session (all media representatives)
- 15:00 – family photograph (photographers and TV crews)
- 16:15 – closing session (all media representatives)
For logistic reasons, journalists will be able to follow the opening and closing sessions from the salle d’écoute, while photographers and TV crews will have access to the meeting room.
Journalists, photographers and TV crews interested in following the event are requested to apply for online accreditation by filling the interactive form at the link http://mae.accreditationsystem.info/ITA/Indice.asp, attaching thereto, unless already provided, the information requested in digital format (letter from the media organisation and, for representatives of foreign media, also a Note Verbale released by the Embassy in Rome of the media organisation’s Country).
If it is not possible to complete the online accreditation procedure, applications should be sent by email to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s Institutional Press and Communication Service at the following address: accreditamentostampa@esteri.it (tel. + 39 06/3691.3432 or + 39 06/3691.3070).
Accredited journalists, photographers and TV crews should enter the Ministry from the rear entrance on Via della Macchia della Farnesina, at:
· 8:15 -9:00 for the opening session;
- 14:00 – 14:30 for the family photograph (only photographers and TV crews)
- 15:15 – 15:45 for the closing session
