H.E. LAURA BOLDRINI

Her Excellency Laura Boldrini obtained a degree in Law at La Sapienza University in Rome. In 1989 she began her career in the Agencies of the United Nations. She worked for four years for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Then, from 1993 to 1998, she worked for the World Food Programme (WFP) as spokesperson for Italy. From 1998 to 2013 she served as spokesperson of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Southern Europe, specifically dealing with migratory flows in the Mediterranean.

During her career she carried out several missions to crisis areas, including the Former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Caucasus, Angola and Rwanda.

She has received numerous awards and honours, including the Official Medal of the National Commission on Equal Opportunities (in 1999), the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (in 2004), the Award of the Spouse of the President of the Republic (in 2006), the Award ‘Press Officer of the Year’ by the National Council of the Journalists’ Association (in 2009), the Special Recognition ‘Italian woman of the Year’ by the weekly magazine Famiglia Cristiana (in 2009), and the Award ‘Renato Benedetto Fabrizi’ by ANPI – National Association of Italian Partisans (in 2011).

In February 2013 she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time. On 16 March 2013 she was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies.