Roma, 28 febbraio 2007 - Il ministro per il Commercio Internazionale e le Politiche Europee Emma Bonino, partecipa alla prima riunione del Working Group della Community of Democracies sul tema: Promozione della democrazia e risposte alle minacce nazionali e transnazionali alla democrazia. Incontro promosso dal Sottosegretario agli Esteri Gianni Vernetti, cui partecipano il Sottosegretario USA Paula Dobriansky, Al-Haj Hussein Bhaila, Vice Ministro degli Affari esteri dello Sri Lanka ed Organizzazioni non Governative tra le quali il Partito Radicale Nonviolento. L'appuntamento è fissato per domani, giovedì 1 marzo, a partire dalle ore 10.00 alla Farnesina, presso la Sala delle Conferenze Internazionali. La Community of Democracies è un'iniziativa sorta nel 1999 al fine di favorire un maggior coordinamento tra i Paesi democratici nei vari consessi internazionali. Programma 10.00 - 10.15 Opening remarks Sen. Gianni Vernetti, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs 10.15 - 11.45 FIRST SESSION The Role of Community of Democracies in the Promotion of Democracy Chair: Sen. Gianni Vernetti, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Speech: Paula Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State, US Emma Bonino, Minister for International Trade and European Policies, Italy Jacek Czaputowicz, Director, Department of Strategy and Foreign Policy Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Abdoulaye Diop, Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to the United States Valerie de Campos Mello, Secretary to the UNDEF Board and Senior Policy Advisor to the Fund Paul Graham, Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), Pretoria Rapporteur: Christian Tomuschat, Professor of International Law, Humboldt University, Berlin 11.45 - 12.00 Coffee break 12.00 - 13.30 SECOND SESSION The Response of Democratic States to National and Transnational Threats to Democracy Chair: Al-haj Hussein Bhaila, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Speech: Carl Gershman, President, National Endowment for Democracy, Washington DC Joerg Volker Ketelsen, European Commission, External Relations DG, Unit for Human Rights and Democratisation Ammar Al-Shahabandar, Center for Liberty in the Middle East, London Berel Rodal, Vice Chair, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, Washington Matteo Mecacci, Transnational Radical Party, Italy Julie Finley, Permanent Representative of the US to the OSCE Rapporteur: Eric Rosand, Senior Fellow, Center on Global Counter-Terrorism Cooperation, New York 13.30 - 15.00 Lunch break 15.00 - 16.30 THIRD SESSION The Role of Civil Society in the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy Chair: Official Representative of El Salvador Speech: Piero Gastaldo, Secretary General, Compagnia di San Paolo, Turin Morton Halperin, Open Society Institute, Washington DC Chee Siok Chin, Executive Director, Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia, Singapore Marieke van Doorn, Policy Officer International Relations, Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, The Hague Mohsen Marzouk, Executive Director, Kadem, Tunisia Charles Brown, CEO, Citizens for Global Solutions, Washington DC Vygaudas Ušackas, Ambassador of Lithuania to the UK Yuri Dzhibladze, President, Center for Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Moscow Rapporteur: Marta Dassù, Director General, International Programs, Aspen Institute Italy, Rome 16.30 - 16.45 Coffee break 16.45 - 18.00 Conclusions: 3 rapporteurs from the 3 sessions Discussion 18.00 - 18.15 Concluding Remarks