NEW YORK, APRIL 12 – The Italian Permanent Representative, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, met today with UNICEF Director, Catherine Russell: the strong partnership between Italy and the United Nations children’s organization in all areas of development and humanitarian cooperation, but also through the strengthening of the Italian contribution to the UNICEF Research Center Innocenti in Florence, were at the center of the talk.
The meeting also provided updates on the international situation, from Ukraine to Afghanistan. Massari and Russell agreed on the fundamental importance of providing support to Africa, a priority due to its key impact on development and global security. “UNICEF – said the Director General – welcomes the increase in flexible funding from Italy, and the government’s contributions to our response in Ukraine and Afghanistan, as well as our work to end child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation.
Catherine Russell, a US citizen, most recently worked at the White House alongside President Joe Biden. Leading UNICEF since Feb. 1, she also served as Special Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues at the State Department and in that role she integrated women’s issues into all aspects of U.S. foreign policy. She represented the United States in more than 45 countries and worked with foreign governments, multilateral organizations, and civil society and was the principal architect of the groundbreaking “U.S. Global Strategy for the Empowerment of Adolescent Girls.”
Russell is the eighth Director General to lead the agency for which about 20,000 people work. She succeeded in the role to another American, Henrietta Fore, who left for family reasons. (@OnuItalia)
