Swingeing staff cuts leave ICCROM 'on life support'

JAN FILIPOWICZ

 ROME – Cultural quango ICCROM’s beleaguered director general,  Aruna Francesca Gujral, has bewildered staff by ordering a rash of firings that will mean the UN agency no longer has a finance unit, unless the organisation’s Executive Board prevents the culling of employees, ICCROM sources say.

U.N., Culture, Embassy Row
23 Oct 2026

Pope Leo to send message to Assisi peace meeting as thousands expected

Alan Jesus Esparza

ROME-- Thousands are expected to gather in Assisi from Sunday to Tuesday for an International peace meeting bringing together religious leaders and representatives of culture and politics, the Community of Sant ’Egidio said.

  The three-day event, entitled “Unarmed and Disarming Peace”, also marks the 40th anniversary of the historic prayer meeting convened by John Paul II in Assisi in 1986.

World, Italy, Vatican
23 Oct 2026
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Putative Torero candidature for FAO top job marred by firing of American director

Insider reporters

 ROME – On the fringes of the World Food Week jamboree at FAO’s Chinese-run headquarters in the Eternal City,  Brazil’s embassy hosted a dinner reception laden with unspoken subtext. Brazilians in top FAO jobs are considering supporting ebullient Peruvian FAO chief economist and Deputy Director General Max Torero in a surprise bid to run for election as the next director general at the FAO. But many wonder if the ‘bullfighter’s’ ignominious role in the firing of American director Benjamin Davis for his work at the UN agency may be a major handicap.

U.N., Embassy Row, World
20 Oct 2026
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Interview: The ‘crazy Brit’ spearheading Ukraine’s fightback against Russia

John Phillips

 LVIV – It’s not unusual for British politicians to criticise Western policy on Ukraine from the comfort of Westminster or clubland and perhaps to write cheques occasionally for Ukrainian charities.

Embassy Row, World
25 Sep 2026
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Sapienza launches Mediterranean project to link cultural heritage with education and employment

Peter srinivasan

Rome — Sapienza University of Rome has brought together partners from six Mediterranean countries to improve access to education and employment in the cultural heritage sector, launching a new initiative as the destruction of historic sites in conflict zones highlights the importance of protecting cultural memory.

Culture, Rome, Italy
23 Oct 2026
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