by InTrieste
The city has approved the allocation of municipal properties to support child protection and youth-oriented programs, granting new operational spaces to UNICEF Comitato Italiano per l’UNICEF ETS under a free-use agreement.
The decision, formalized through a municipal resolution dated March 23, 2026, assigns UNICEF a headquarters in Via dei Capitelli 19 and a supplementary storage facility in Via Giovanni Pascoli 28. City officials said the measure is part of a broader strategy to repurpose underused public real estate for social and community services.
The new premises were presented at a press conference attended by municipal representatives and UNICEF officials, including Elisa Lodi, councillor for public assets; Paolo Rozera, director general of UNICEF Italy; and Lauretta Carlon, who leads the organization’s regional and provincial committees.
Lodi described the initiative as part of a wider policy to activate unused municipal properties by making them available to nonprofit organizations. She said the goal is to ensure that public assets are not left idle when they can be used for services with social impact.
UNICEF representatives framed the new space as a long-awaited operational base that will support volunteer coordination, educational activities, and public outreach programs. Carlon said the headquarters is intended to function as an open and accessible hub for community engagement on children’s rights, with activities including workshops, training sessions, and awareness initiatives.
Rozera emphasized the importance of strengthening local initiatives focused on youth well-being, including mental health, and highlighted the role of cooperation between institutions and civil society. He said the new facility could serve as a starting point for expanded collaboration and community-based programming.
A message from UNICEF Italia president Nicola Graziano, read during the event, expressed appreciation for the city’s support and underlined the importance of partnerships between public institutions and organizations working to advance children’s rights.
According to the municipality, the initiative serves three main purposes: enhancing UNICEF’s operational capacity in the city; advancing a model of public asset reuse for social purposes; and fostering cooperation among third-sector organizations through shared use of space and coordinated programming.
The agreement, initially set for two years and renewable up to four, is part of a broader municipal approach aimed at strengthening social services by integrating public institutions with nonprofit networks.
City officials said the project reflects an ongoing effort to use municipal assets more efficiently while expanding services for families and young people.
