Med-Or Delivers a Three-Day Diplomatic Training Session for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Somalia

From June 28 to 30, 2026, the Med-Or Italian Foundation delivered a Diplomatic Training Session for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Somalia, held at the RA Hotel in Mogadishu. This programme is part of a broader diplomatic training framework for Somalia, established two years ago in connection with its membership on the UN Security Council, and delivered in partnership with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

It brought together senior officials of the Ministry for an intensive curriculum pairing strategic instruction from a faculty of diplomats, jurists and practitioners with a hands-on track in strategic communications, designed to leave the Ministry with capability it can operate on long after the session closed.

Senior officials from across the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took part in the three days, which combined lectures on the international and legal environment with applied, interactive sessions on government communications. The meeting reaffirmed Med-Or's commitment to promoting international dialogue and strengthening institutional expertise on strategic issues, from diplomacy and international law to communications and democratic resilience.

The first day addressed the wider strategic context. Bernardino León Gross, Chairman of the Med-Or Diplomatic Academy and former United Nations Special Representative in Libya, examined great-power competition in the transition to a new world order and the impact of the Iran war on the Middle East and beyond. Umberto Tavolato, Executive Director of Med-Or Italian Foundation for Africa, addressed the politics and security of the broader Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and Chepkorir Sambu, Policy Adviser at Med-Or, led a session on the East African Community’s law and institutions. A legal strand delivered by the international lawyer Paolo Busco covered the role of the legal adviser to a foreign ministry and the law of treaties.

The second and third days deepened both the legal and the strategic tracks. Paolo Busco addressed the law of immunities and international dispute settlement. Stefano Manservisi, former Director-General at the European Commission and former EU Ambassador to Turkey, examined Europe's engagement with Africa and EU-Africa relations today. El-Ghassim Wane, former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, led sessions on the African Peace and Security Architecture and the AU-UN partnership in peacekeeping.

Running throughout the programme was a strategic communications track delivered by Dan Morland, Med-Or Strategic Communication Adviser, taking participants across the full arc of modern government communications: communications planning, disinformation and influence operations, crisis communications, proactive campaigns, and internal communications. The sessions were designed to be worked rather than watched, combining live scenarios and questions to the room with practical tools for immediate use, including planning grids, message handbooks, crisis protocols, and take-home action cards.

The programme concluded with a reception with His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia and His Excellency the Italian Ambassador to Somalia.

The initiative forms part of a broader set of activities supported by Med-Or to promote international cooperation and the exchange of best practices among institutions, experts and stakeholders, and reflects the expansion of the Foundation's engagement across the Horn of Africa and the wider continent.