Ambassador Maurizio MORENO
President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law
(Sanremo, Italy)
Born in 1940, a native of Sanremo Ambassador Maurizio Moreno served in the Italian Foreign Ministry for 44 years. He retired from the diplomatic service in June 2007.
Permanent Representative of Italy to NATO from 2002 to 2007, Director General for European Countries from 1999 to 2002, he previously served as Italian Ambassador to the Czech Republic (1996-1999) and to Senegal (1988-1992).
His initial postings included Basel, Rabat, Bordeaux.
From 1976 to 1980 he was the Italian Alternate Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and participated, as Deputy Head of the Italian Delegation at the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law applicable in Armed Conflicts.
Consul General in Lyon from 1980 to 1983, Maurizio Moreno was the Deputy Head of the Italian Delegation to the CDE-CSCE in Stockholm in 1984. Back in Rome, he became the Political Director for Africa (1985-1988).
He served again at La Farnesina between 1992 to 1996, as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Minister, then as Director of the Press Department and finally as Chairman of the Italian Diplomatic Institute.
During his career he participated in missions to key-conflict areas (including Lebanon, the Balkans, Sudan, Afghanistan) and served as the Italian Special Envoy for Somalia (1993).
A diplomat's son, he was raised in Italy and Lebanon. He has a degree in Law from the University of Rome.
Former President of Circolo del Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Maurizio Moreno serves on the board of SIOI (Società Italiana per l'Organizzazione Internazionale), Rome. He is a member of prestigious research institutes such as IAI (Istituto Affari Internazionali), Rome; ISIAO (Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente) Rome; Circolo di Studi Diplomatici, Rome.
A frequent lecturer, he contributes to Affari Esteri, La Comunità Internazionale and other magazines.
Ambassador Moreno has received awards and decorations by the Governments of Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Senegal, the Order of Malta and the United Kingdom.
March 2010