UN Experts Outline Current Trends, Policy Potential Italy at Center of Major EC, Global Issue One of the last presentations of the distinguished Riccardo Viale, the departing director of the Italian Cultural Institute for the last five years, this panel was typical in addressing the most abstract material at great length, an activity so favored by the participants in panels at this august institution that a regular attendee must conclude that either this is a trait of the national character or a predilection of the high domed director, whose intellectual interests are exceptionally wide ranging, as the many panels he has mounted attest. The keynote address by Massimo Tommasoli paced through various possible definitions of "migration" and other relevant concepts which would be covered in the minds and papers of UN officials and governments which intended to cooperate in working out mutually acceptable policies to deal with the major global issue of migration from poor to richer countries which is now reaching a critical stage in the Mediterranean, with Italy the main target of African boats. But what were the practical moves which would result from UN sponsored cooperation? There were few so far, it appeared, since the process of defining cohesion", "integration" and "inclusion" etc was ongoing until a conclusion could be reached acceptable to all participating nations. One presentation however was by Clare E. Menozzi, Population Division, UNDESA, who outlined the current situation and the trends involved, and mentioned one cooperative action which was recently or about to be launched to alleviate the difficulties and injustices suffered by the hapless migrants of the world, namely, a push to reduce the cost of remittances back to their home countries. However, she confessed after the panel that the relief in question would amount to no more than 5%. ================================================================= Friday, January 17 6 to 8 PM Italian Cultural Institute 686 Park Avenue New York R.S.V.P. 212 879 4242 ext. 363 PROGRAM WELCOME: Riccardo Viale, Director, Italian Cultural Institute KEYNOTE ADDRESS on " Social Cohesion, Social Integration and Social Inclusion in the International Agenda" Massimo Tommasoli, Permament Observer to the United Nations of International IDEA UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2013: ITS CONTRIBUTION TO CONSENSUS BUILDING ON THE VALUES OF DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION: The 2013 General Assembly High Level Meeting on Disabilities Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, UNDESA The 2013 General Assembly High Level Meeting on Migration Clare E. Menozzi, Population Division, UNDESA Follow up to the 2012 High Level Meeting on the Rule of Law Giovanni Bassu, Deputy Director, Rule of Law Unit, Executive Office of the Secretary-General ADVANCING VALUES THROUGH THE UN: ITALY'S CONTRIBUTION Antonio Bernardini, Deputy Secretary-General, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Moderator: Patrizio Civili The themes on which this roundtable is focused are increasingly at the center of national political agendas in Europe and, with different manifestations, throughout the world. They also intersect in several different ways with the work of the United Nations - its peacekeeping and peace building activities as well as its policy development work in the economic and social areas. They are important dimensions of the policy debate currently underway at the UN in craft a new, post MDGs/post 2015 sustainable development agenda. The key note address by Massimo Tommasoli will review how concepts such as "cohesion", "integration" and "inclusion" have evolved in the past decade; the different approaches to social policy that each conveys, but also their commonalities in relation to the values in which they are rooted; and the state of play in international consensus building around these values. The most recent session of the UN General Assembly, particularly through the High Level Meetings on Migration and on Disabilities and its ongoing debate on the contribution of the rule of law to both the UN security and development missions, has made a significant contribution to this consensus building effort. This effort is also one of the aspects of international policy development in relation to which Italian officials in the UN Secretariat are playing an especially significant role. This roundtable will provide an opportunity for some of them-Daniela Bas, Clare Menozzi and Giovanni Bassu - to discuss and share their experiences and then assessment of the progress being made in their respective areas of work. The interactive debate that will follow will conclude with an address by Ambassador Antonio Bernardini on Italy's contribution to advancing values through different international fora, as a central objective of Italy' s foreign policy.