The topic that has incredibly dominated the national and international press in the last three days? There appointment of Lino Banfi, aka Oronzo Canà, Altomare Secca and grandfather Libero, as the Italian representative of the National Commission for UNESCO, a body established in 1950, appointed by the Ministry of Economic Development and which has the task of promoting "the connection, the info Di Maioione , consultation and implementation of UNESCO programs in Italy”.
The official announcement was in fact launched by the Minister of Economic Development and Deputy Prime Minister of Grillino Luigi Di Maio, during the event organized by the 5 Star Movement on Citizenship Income: "We take the opportunity to give news to Italy that fills me with pride : as a government we have identified Maestro Lino Banfi to represent the government in the Italian commission for Unesco. We have made Lino Banfi a UNESCO heritage site”. Subsequently, the actor took the floor on stage to comment: "Enough with all these multi-graduates in the commissions, I will bring a smile".
The affair triggered an explosion of hilarity that swept through the national press and webl but once again called into question the government's credibility. Who, as Corriere della Sera informs, says he is amazed by this clamor is the president of Unesco Italy since 2016, Franco Bernabe – former chairman and CEO of Telecom. Bernabè explained that Banfi will be able to contribute to the work of the Commission "within the perimeter of the 'consultative' tasks, of stimulus and suggestion assigned to the assembly. He is not, as has also been said, the Italian ambassador to Unesco. Who plays that role is the ambassador Massimo Riccardo, who is the permanent representative of our country».
Another comment that has sparked controversy on the Banfi affair comes from the film producer Pupi Avati, a member of the Commission appointed by the Mise: "They could have looked out from the balcony blindfolded and indicated the first one to pass, because there is the nomination, there is the role , but lacks the task. At least, it has been missing so far: I have been awarded, but they haven't even asked me about it. I've never done my job as commissioner, I don't even know what I should do, because the commission has never been convened”. Ready the reply of the president Franco Bernabè who informed the non-experts that the assembly "has been convened regularly and Pupi Avati he was invited to attend, but never showed up. He evidently had other things to do. In any case, all this noise and even the most disparate declarations released after the appointment have the merit of making people talk about Unesco and the work we do».
Because it is good to remember that Italy has well 54 World Heritage Sites, 9 intangible heritage entities, 10 geoparks, 17 biosphere reserves, 9 creative cities, 29 professorships, 2 learning cities. Anyone who thinks that the Unesco Commission has no purpose "makes a big mistake" - continues Bernabè - The secretariat works permanently in Palazzo Firenze in Rome, where we have our headquarters, made up of the president of the commission and three ministerial officials, who it is in essence the management body. The council meets at least once a month to evaluate and approve programs and candidacies, which involve dossiers of hundreds of pages resulting from years of work. There are so many: there is no municipality, area, territory that does not have the ambition to boast the Unesco symbol. Rightly so, because it has great appeal and reputation in the world. Our country has 54 World Heritage Sites.
Meanwhile, among the new Italian candidate sites for UNESCO heritage include the Maritime Alps, whose candidacy was promoted by the Ministry of the Environment and confirmed by the Governing Council of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO. Italy, explains the dicastery in the official statement, is the leader of this candidacy which also sees France and the Principality of Monaco together. Among other Unesco nominations for 2020 also Padua Urbs Picta which includes the fourteenth-century frescoes located in the Scrovegni Chapel, Palazzo della Ragione, the Basilica del Santo, the chapel of the Carrara Palace, the oratory of San Giorgio, the church of the Eremitani, the Baptistery of the Cathedral and the oratory of San Michele . Also apply Hills of Prosecco di Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
While, as regards the candidacy of "Forest ecosystems of the Sila" for inscription on the World Heritage List as a natural site, the Governing Council decided to "postpone its presentation - reads the note from the dicastery - as the candidacy received a negative evaluation by the Uicn (International Union for Conservation of Nature), assessment body of the World Heritage Committee responsible for natural sites".
In any case, grandfather Libero has already explained how to contribute to the nominations: «I want my Canosa and my grandparents as a world heritage site».
