by InTrieste
The Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government is seeking to strengthen its partnership with UNESCO by expanding the organization’s scientific presence in Trieste, Governor Massimiliano Fedriga said after meeting senior UNESCO officials in Paris on Wednesday.
Fedriga met with Åsa Regnér, UNESCO’s deputy director-general, alongside Italy’s permanent representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Liborio Stellino, to discuss plans for what the region calls a future UNESCO science hub.
The proposal aims to consolidate several UNESCO-affiliated scientific organizations already based in Trieste, including The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) Secretariat and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD). The institutions are currently housed on a temporary basis at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP).
As part of the project, the regional government has offered a building on Via Udine in Trieste to serve as the organizations’ permanent headquarters. Officials say the initiative is intended to provide a more efficient and financially sustainable base for UNESCO’s science activities.
Fedriga said the region has held extensive discussions with UNESCO and the Italian government, adding that Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has supported the initiative. According to the governor, UNESCO has identified Friuli Venezia Giulia as a strategic location for expanding existing scientific programs and developing new ones.
During the meeting, Fedriga also highlighted the region’s research ecosystem, which includes 22 institutions involved in science, innovation and technology. Trieste has long been recognized as one of Europe’s leading scientific centers, hosting internationally renowned research infrastructure and attracting researchers from around the world.
The governor said he expected further official announcements regarding the UNESCO hub in the coming days.
