Formez meets Latin America on International Cooperation

Under the coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - DGCS, the temporary target group established by CFI (Consortium for International Training), ITACA Department of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Rome La Sapienza and CIRPS (Inter-university Research Centre for Sustainable Development) organized a higher training course for top managers and executives from MERCOSUR countries, namely Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The key objective of the course has been to contribute to the regional integration of the countries of the area of merit by training executives on European Community culture through a comparative analysis of the experiences in European Union integration.
In this framework, Formez welcomed the group and outlined its mission and the training activities carried out to allow civil servants to comply their competences with the need for implementation of programmes and projects which have been elaborated under cross-border and/or trans-national territorial cooperation policies. 
During the meeting, Ms Saveria Spezzano, Head of the International Activities Office, took the floor and outlined the Institute and the International Activities Office’s aims  in the light of European integration and training for civil servants by giving an overview of the history of Formez and its role of training, assistance and support agency of the Public Administration.
Ms Lucia Santuccione presented the experiences gained under the Support Programme for Regional Cooperation with reference to cooperation between the Italian regions and the South Mediterranean and Western Balkan countries. Following, Ms Miranda Labella depicted the Administrative Twinning tool as well as the activities carried out under the Twinning Poland on Implementation of the Integrated Regional Operational Programme on Central and Regional Level as regards the strengthening and consolidation of Polish administrations and institutions competences involved in the utilization of European Structural Funds and instruments of Cohesion Policy. Finally, Mr Karl Giacinti described the activities conducted under the Twinning Light Bosnia Herzegovina Capacity Building of the Directorate for CIPS (Citizen Identification Protection System with a focus on e-government as well as management and protection of personal details.
In conclusion, a debate contributed to clarifying further aspects regarding the Institute’s mission and structure. In his closing address, the General Manager, Mr Marco Villani, emphasized the relevance and the strategic role of Latin America at international level including similarities with the European experiences and perspectives of future integration.