Mariangela Zappia

Mariangela Zappia is the Italian Ambassador to the United States of America. A career diplomat with over thirty-five years of experience, she is the first woman in her country to hold this position, as she was the first woman Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York and to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (2018-2021). She has also been the first woman Diplomatic Advisor to the Italian Prime Minister and G7/G20 Sherpa (2016-2018).

Ambassador Zappia has also been Permanent Representative of Italy to NATO in Brussels (2014-2016) and Head of the European Union Delegation to the UN and other International Organization in Geneva (2011-2014);

She has published on the Reform of the Security Council and on the Contribution of Italy to UN peace-keeping operations. She speaks fluent English and French, and has a good knowledge of Spanish.

Education: She holds a Master degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Florence and a Post-graduate degree in Diplomatic and International Relations from the same University. She has followed periodic high-level training courses on diplomatic practice and management at the Diplomatic Academy of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome. She is an active member of the International Gender Champions Network aimed at promoting gender parity and women’s participation in decision-making.