Geneva, 31 October 2025
Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organizations in Geneva, conferred upon Carola Saletta the title of “Ambassador of Sports Diplomacy.” Saletta is a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) with the Legal Department of the World Health Organization (WHO) and an athlete with the Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies and the Italian women’s national ice hockey team, with which she will compete at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Ms Saletta’s designation as “Ambassador of Sports Diplomacy” was decided by the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, on 9 September at Villa Madama, during the presentation of the second edition of the “Italian Sports Day in the World.” The initiative—promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Ministry for Sport and Youth, in collaboration with the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP)—aims to highlight the role of sport as an instrument of Italy’s international projection.
Recalling that multilateralism—by the express will of the drafters of Italy’s Constitution—forms the backbone of Italian foreign policy, Ambassador Grassi underscored in his remarks how Dr Saletta exemplifies the ability to combine, on the one hand, professionalism and the rigour of technical-legal work at WHO, a pillar of the global health architecture, and, on the other, sporting excellence, daily commitment and discipline required to compete at the highest level in the lead-up to the Olympic Games.
The Ambassador further recalled that sport is a powerful driver of peace and dialogue, all the more necessary in the current international context marked by multiplying conflicts and attacks on the multilateral system. In this regard, he referred to the resolution on the Olympic Truce presented by Italy at the United Nations General Assembly on 9 October: an age-old tradition, relaunched in modern times, which calls on parties to conflict to lay down their arms during the Games, allowing athletes and nations to come together in a spirit of peace.
The ceremony took place at the Permanent Mission of Italy in Geneva, in the presence of WHO officials and young Italian JPOs serving in the International Organizations based in Geneva, and offered an opportunity to extend best wishes to Dr Saletta and to the Italian women’s national ice hockey team ahead of their participation in the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
