Day 1 – Tuesday, May 22
Day 2 – Wednesday, May 23
Day 3 – Thursday, May 24
Agenda – Full Version (pdf)

Monday, May 21

20:00 — Opening Remarks and Reception at Terrazza Caffarelli, Campidoglio

• H.E. Romano Prodi, President of the Council of Ministers, Italy, [Download the Speech]
• H.E. Gazmend Oketa, Deputy Prime Minister, Albania
• Shigeo Katsu, Europe and Central Asia Vice President, The World Bank
• Jose’ Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Director, Employment Sector, International Labor Organization

Day 1 — Tuesday, May 22

09:00–9:15 — Welcome by Famiano Crucianelli, Undersecretary Relations with Europe, the Caucasus and CIS countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy [Download the Speech]

9:15–10:00 — Challenges for Investing in Youth in ECA: Conference Objectives

• Gloria La Cava, ECA Youth Coordinator, The World Bank
• Pierre Mairesse, Director of Youth, Sports and Citizenship Department, DG Education and Culture, European Commission
• Paola Viero, Senior Expert Children and Youth Policies, Development Cooperation
• Bettina Schwarzmayr, President European Youth Forum

10:00–11:00 — Plenary Session 1: A Dialogue on Youth Employment, Employability and Labor Markets
Chair: Gazmend Oketa, Deputy Prime Minister, Albania
Moderator: Piero Di Pasquale, Deputy Director, RAI International

• Fizuli Alekberov, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population of Azerbaijan Republic [Download the Speech]
• Jose' Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Director, Employment Sector, International Labor Organization
• Mamta Murthi, ECA Education Sector Manager and former Deputy Director of the World Bank World Development Report

11:00–11:30 — Coffee Break

11:30–12:30 — Discussion and Q & A

• Vladimir Curovic, Association of Employers of Montenegro
• Erion Veljaj, MJAFT, Albania
• Maninder Gill, ECA Social Development Sector Manager, The World Bank

12:45–13:45 — Lunch with Umberto Paolucci, Senior Chairman, Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa

13:45–15:15 — Thematic Break-out Sessions I

• Formal Education and Youth Employment
• Non-formal education and youth employability
• Second chance programs to integrate or reintegrate disadvantaged youth into the labor market
• Youth Entrepreneurship and Access to Financing
• The role of the private sector in the promotion of youth employment
• Youth Employment Policy and Action Plans

15:15–16:00 — Coffee Break

16:00–17:15 — Report back from Thematic Sessions and General Discussion
Moderator: Niall O'Higgins, University of Salerno

17:15–17:30 — Wrap-up and Conclusions

• Next steps
• Objectives of Day 2

18:30–20:00 — Launch of the Multi-Media Art Exhibit, Complesso S. Michele
Inbetweeness: Balkans, Metaphors of Change

• Danielle Mazzonis, Undersecretary, Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage
• Ludovico Pratesi, Curator

20:30 — Dinner at Meo Patacca - P.zza dei Mercanti - Trastevere