Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura

During the friendly talks - of which both parties stated the great importance - the relations between Italy and the Organisation and their relaunch prospects were examined, also in view of Italy's second candidature at the December 1999 elections of the Executive Council, and of the most significant future deadlines. [...] The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Lamberto Dini, received the Director General of UNESCO, Mr Federico Mayor, in Rome for an official visit, at the Farnesina today. During the friendly talks - of which both parties stated the great importance - the relations between Italy and the Organisation and their relaunch prospects were examined, also in view of Italy's second candidature at the December 1999 elections of the Executive Council, and of the most significant future deadlines. In recalling the excellent state of collaboration between Italy and UNESCO, Director General Mayor expressed warm appreciation for Italy's financial contribution to the Organisation and for the commitment and quality of Italy's participation in the Organisation's activities. Minister Dini, in turn, stressed that Italy's commitment develops by combining UNESCO's principles with tangible action in delicate geographical areas where there is greater need for stability, such as Bosnia, Albania and the Middle East. In this context, Italy's active participation in UNESCO's programme of assistance to the Palestinian people (PAPP), to which our country is the greatest contributor, was recalled, as well as its participation in the Bethlehem 2000 Project, for the safeguarding and enhancement of the city, which will be inaugurated in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve 1999. Also in the Euro-Mediterranean framework, Mr Mayor hoped that tangible synergies would be implemented between Italy and the Organisation, in order to encourage, thanks to the wide range of relations that UNESCO entertains with all the countries in the area, greater development of the dialogue among the peoples of that region and an enhancement of their environmental and architectural heritage. In this context, Minister Dini - highlighting Italy's pre-eminent role, currently as chairman of the "World Heritage Committee" - announced that Italy would apply for the post of Director of the Secretariat of the same Committee, the "World Heritage Centre". Minister Dini positively hailed the various initiatives on the agenda, which Director General Mayor listed, including the Intergovernmental Conference on "Cultural Policies for Development", promoted by UNESCO in Stockholm from 30 March to 2 April, where Italy intends to present the show "Culture for a World of Peace: The Magic Flute", an original adaptation of Mozart's work by the same name - born of the joint Italy-UNESCO organisation. Both parties also expressed satisfaction for the imminent take-off of UNESCO's Regional Office for Science and Technology (ROSTE), headquartered in Venice, which will also work in agreement with UNESCO's presence at the existing "scientific centre" in Trieste.