Podgorica, 24–25 June 2026 – The Sovereign Military Order of Malta participated in the high-level international Conference “Gender Equality and Diplomacy: The Role of Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Promoting Gender Equality in the CEI Region,” held in Podgorica on 24–25 June 2026, in the context of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy.

Organized under the Central European Initiative (CEI) Cooperation Fund, the Conference was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and its Women Diplomats Network, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography of Montenegro. The event brought together representatives from Ministries of Foreign Affairs of CEI Member States, alongside national institutions and international organizations, to foster regional dialogue on gender-responsive diplomacy. A particular emphasis was placed on identifying how foreign affairs ministries can contribute to advancing the fight against gender-based violence and femicide—a pressing shared challenge for the CEI region.

The proceedings were officially opened by H.E. Mr. Ervin Ibrahimović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro.

H.E. Ambassador Narciso Salvo di Pietraganzili, accompanied by Mr. Carlo Corsi, Minister of the Embassy, participated in and contributed to the opening high-level sessions on Day 1, underscoring the Order’s commitment to integrating gender equality into its diplomatic and humanitarian mission.

On the second day, the Embassy’s First Secretary, Mr. Valerio Carafa, took part in the final panel discussion. Mr. Carafa’s participation was integrated into the programme of the 19th Summer School for Young Diplomats organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, where he contributed alongside colleagues representing 50 countries, highlighting the importance of youth diplomatic engagements and trainings in promoting inclusive governance and equality.

The Order’s active participation in this Conference reaffirms its dedication to the principles of human dignity, solidarity, and the protection of the most vulnerable – values intrinsically linked to the empowerment of women and the eradication of gender-based discrimination.

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The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, founded in Jerusalem in the second half of the 11th century, is a subject of international law and a Catholic and secular religious order. Its mission is to witness the faith and serve the poor and the sick. Today, the Order of Malta is most active in the fields of medical and social assistance and humanitarian interventions, and is present in more than 130 countries. With its 13,500 members, the Order has 100,000 volunteers supported by approximately 60,000 doctors, nurses, and paramedics. The Order runs hospitals, medical centres, clinics, institutes for the elderly and persons with disabilities, centres for the terminally ill, and socio-medical and psychological support projects for migrants and refugees.

The Order’s international humanitarian branch, Malteser International, provides emergency relief in war zones and in the event of natural disasters. The Order is currently engaged in Ukraine, at over 70 locations in the country and in neighbouring states. In the Middle East, it assists victims of conflict, particularly in Lebanon and Gaza (in cooperation with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem), and runs the only hospital with neonatal intensive care in Bethlehem. The Italian Rescue Corps of the Order of Malta participates in migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Order of Malta is neutral, impartial, and apolitical. It has diplomatic relations with 115 countries, official relations with a further 5 countries, as well as diplomatic relations with the European Union and the African Union. It has permanent observer status at the United Nations and is represented at major international organisations. Since 1834, the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta has been seated in Rome. The 81st Grand Master is Fra’ John T. Dunlap.