On 21 February 2022 the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Maurizio Massari, visited the United Nations (UN) Campus in Turin.
Turin is host to one of the main worldwide training and capacity building hubs in the world. For more than 50 years, the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) have shared the UN Campus in Turin. Their collective work focuses on promoting dialogue and enhancing knowledge and capacities to support organizations and individuals tackle global challenges.
Over half a century, hundreds of thousands of people from all around the world have met at this global crossroad to exchange knowledge and experiences, and build a common path towards a better future for all.
Today, when no country is spared from the challenges presented by the pandemic, growing climate change vulnerabilities, increasing unemployment, poverty and inequalities, unstable political situations, and social polarization, the UN is working to support Member States to address emergencies, advocate for equality in the access to medical treatments, promote peace, and reaffirm the principle that no one should be left behind.
In these unprecedented times, the UN Campus in Turin has doubled its efforts to build resilience and provide communities all around the world with new tools to address emerging challenges.
During his visit, Ambassador Massari met with the representatives from the UN entities hosted at the Campus. He received updates on their accomplishments and new strategic areas of intervention. The Director of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), Mr. Jafar Javan briefed Ambassador Maurizio Massari about UNSSC’s work and its strong collaboration with the Italian Government. Focusing on the high-quality learning offered by the Staff College, Mr. Jafar Javan highlighted the College’s key initiatives and achievements to date. In closing, Ambassador Maurizio Massari engaged with UNSSC staff, and re-affirmed Italy’s commitment to the Staff College.
During the consultation, the Director of UNSSC, Mr. Jafar Javan said: “We were honored to welcome Ambassador Maurizio Massari today. This visit provided a great opportunity for us to reflect on the work of the Staff College, and to thank the Italian government for its support in the past 20 years. We look forward to a continued collaboration that will bolster our efforts to deliver quality learning to the UN System and its partners.”
Ambassador Maurizio Massari and the Director of the International Training Centre of the ILO, Mr. Giuseppe Casale had also a very fruitful discussion about the close collaboration between ITCILO and the Host Country. The premises of the Centre are a major asset of the UN system and there are ongoing discussions on how to further maximize the enormous potential of the Campus in the coming future.
Mr. Casale expressed great appreciation with respect to this important consultation and said: “It was a pleasure to meet with Ambassador Massari and to discuss future collaboration with the Italian government. We are thankful for the invaluable support of the Host Country throughout our nearly 60 years of activity. We trust that the future of the ITCILO will go hand in hand with the engagement of Italy in the international cooperation system”.
Ambassador Massari held also a consultation with the Deputy Director of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, Mr. Leif Villadsen, who provided him with an overview of the support provided by UNICRI to Members States in the field of justice, crime prevention, protection of vulnerable groups and mitigation of emerging threats.
“We are honoured by this opportunity to present the results we have achieved in dealing with the unprecedented challenges and threats to public health, the economy, and social and political stability around the world. Despite the challenging times, our cooperation with countries in countering crime and terrorism, reducing the impacts of the pandemic, building community resilience, maximizing the potential of new technologies and minimize their risks has increased exponentially. We are grateful to Ambassador Massari, and to Italy for the unvaluable support and constant cooperation, and for reaffirming with us the principles of international cooperation.” “
Italy is very proud to host and be one of the strongest partners of the UN campus in Turin. The investments in human capital done here are crucial to the future of multilateral relations at the global level. We are working in New York to further enhance the level of awareness among Member States and at UN of the work carried out in Turin, which also gives an enormous contribution in mainstreaming the priorities of Agenda 2030. Italy will spare no effort to this aim also during its UN ECOSOC 3-year term membership, which started at the beginning of 2022”, said Ambassador Maurizio Massari concluding his visit.
About the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization
(ITCILO) ITCILO has been at the forefront of learning and training since 1964. It is dedicated to achieving decent work while exploring the frontiers of the future of work. The core elements of the learning experiences are inclusion, impact, and innovation. The mission of the ITCILO is to provide people with access to digitally-enhanced capacity development services to successfully manage their future of work transitions. From the sustainability-minded courses to the SDG-informed Masters (Turin School of Development), the ITCILO always puts beneficiaries first.
About the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)
Established in 1968 in Italy and with project offices in many countries, UNICRI designs and implements improved policies and actions to advance justice, crime prevention, security and the rule of law in support of peace, political stability, human rights and sustainable development. UNICRI’s work focuses on Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Justice, crime prevention and the rule of law are the basis for fighting poverty and reducing inequalities while enhancing economic growth and stability and protecting the environment. UNICRI continues to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide in its areas of work.