NEW YORK, JULY 14 – “Institutions are fundamental drivers of development. Good governance shapes and seals the social pact between people and institutions”, the Italian Director General for Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fabio Cassese, said today at the United Nations Headquarters. Cassese was attending a side event of the High Level Political Forum on “SDG16+ In Peril: A call-to-action for safeguarding commitments to Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies”.
Yesterday Cassese held talks at the top of the UN agencies. He met with UNICEF Executive Director, Omar Abdi, UN Women Director Sima Sami Bahous, UNOCHA Assistant Secretary General Joyce Msuya, while today he spoke with Liu Zhemin of UNDESA, a key partner of the Italian Cooperation’s efforts to progress towards the SDGs. During this last meeting common initiatives were highlighted, including Italy-DESA Trust Fund for Technical Cooperation for JPOs and UN Fellowship Programs, the SDG 16 Conference and a bilateral JPO Programme with France.
On the agenda of the talks with Abdi was Italy’s support for the humanitarian activities carried out by the UNICEF in the wash sector, COVAX facility, child protection in Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon Mozambique, Niger and Syria, as well as assistance to children who fled Ukraine to Moldova. With Joyce Msuya, Cassese recalled that Italy is among the top 10 OCHA donors through its support to UNCERF and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.
In 2023 Italy will take the Vice Presidency of UN Women Executive Board. With Sima Sami Bahous, the Director General recalled that in 2022 Italy increased its financial contribution to the organization by 20% to support gender equality and empowerment and the global programme to end female genital mutilation. (@OnuItalia)
