It is with great pleasure that ECES invites all of you to participate in the high-level event for the presentation of the new strategy as per the “Italian Partnership with Africa” by the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Luigi di Maio, together with the Italian Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Emanuela Del Re and Marina Sereni.
 
The event will be held on Tuesday 15 December at 11:00 AM GMT (Brussels and Rome time). The live broadcast will be accessible to all on the YouTube channel and social network pages of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and following this specific dedicated link for the session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw22Vj_lyJk
 
Some of the key participants to the event will include:

  • Vito Rosario Petrocelli, Member of the Italian Parliament President of the Foreign Affairs Committee
  • Luca Sabbatucci, Director General for Global Affairs, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Giuseppe Mistretta, Director for Sub-Saharan African Countries, Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry
  • Cessouma Minata Samate, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union Commission.
  • Birtukan Mideksa, Chairperson of National Election Board of Ethiopia
  • Fabio Bargiacchi, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the European Centre for Electoral Support
  • Sabina Nuti, Rector of School of Advanced Studies “Sant’Anna”
  • Prof. Andrea de Guttry, Deputy Rector of School of Advanced Studies “Sant’Anna”
  • Annalisa Creta, Research Fellow at the School of Advanced Studies “Sant’Anna”
  • Aly Coulibaly, Ambassador of Mali in Rome
  • Francesco Starace, Chief Executive Officer of Ente Nazionale Energia Elettrica
  • Don Dante Carraro, Director of Doctors with Africa CUAMM

The event is organised in partnership between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the School of Advanced Studies of Pisa (SSSA), and the European Centre for Electoral Support - ECES.
 
On this occasion, the ECES-SSSA INNOV-ELECTIONS project will be launched, featuring an introductory video explaining the successful partnership implemented together with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and funded by Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project seeks to strengthen the African electoral management bodies and African regional oganisations through capacity development activities which also aim to address the challenges caused by the COVID 19 pandemic to the organisation of elections.
 
In this context, the priorities, inspiring principles and prospects for Italian foreign policy action on the African continent will be discussed, according to the following agenda: