Press Office of the Minister for Disabilities
Press Release
From 11 to 13 June 2024, the Italian Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli, will be participating in the 17th Session of the annual Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
On 11 June – the opening day of the Conference – the Minister will be making a statement during the plenary session to illustrate the reform on disabilities that Italy is currently implementing.
On 12 June, the event “Promoting and Developing Talent and Skills of Persons with Disabilities through Italian Cuisine” will be held under the sponsorship of the Italian Government.
Participating in the event will also be leaders of various organizations from the Third Sector, who, in Italy, manage inclusive restaurant businesses. There will be presentations by chef-restaurateurs, such as Antonio Ciotola of the Italian Federation of Chefs; Elena Appiani, former Director of Lions Clubs International and Global Action Team Leader for Area Costituzionale Europa (Constitutional Area – Europe); and Serafino Corti, Coordinator of the Technical-Scientific Committee of the National Observatory on the condition of persons with disabilities.
At the end of the event, there will be a reception during which the associations, Breakcotto, Luna Blu, PizzAut, Rullifood, Rurabilandia and Tortellante, will offer practical demonstrations of the skills acquired by their employees with disabilities, who will be preparing their specialties directly in the kitchens of the United Nations.
At the sidelines of the Conference, many bilateral meetings will be held between Minister Locatelli and her counterparts from other European and extra-European Countries.
On 13 June, Minister Locatelli will be meeting with the G7 Ministers and the Representatives of the European Commission in the run-up to the Ministerial-level Conference on Inclusion and Disability to be held in Umbria from 14 to 16 October 2024.
“Italy is paying great attention to the theme of valuing the talents and skills of persons with disabilities,” Minister Locatelli explains, “and this will be an opportunity to show all of the participating States a part of the extraordinary experiences that are gaining ground in our Country. The Conference is particularly important to me this year, since Italy holds the G7 Presidency and will be hosting, for the first time in its history, a G7 ministerial conference on the theme of inclusion and disabilities.
