SIGA Honorary Chairman

Dr Franco Frattini was the first Chair of SIGA, being initially elected in 2017 and re-elected by unanimity and acclamation for a second term in July 2021. He received the SIGA Special Recognition Award in October 2022 and was appointed Honorary Chair after having presided his last meeting of the SIGA Council.

In December 2022, Dr Franco Frattini was the President of the Italian Supreme Court of Justice and Justice and Chamber President to the Italian Supreme Administrative Court (Conseil d’Etat). He served twice as  Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy (2002-2004 and 2008-2011) and was also Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security between 2004 and 2008. Previously, he had served as Secretary-General of the Italian Prime Minister’s Office (1994), President of the Parliamentary Committee for Intelligence and Security Services and State Secrets (1996), Minister for Civil Service and for the Coordination of Information and Security Services (2001-2002), and Member of the Prime Minister Commission for the Constitutional reforms (2013 – 2014). From 2011 to 2013, Franco Frattini acted as President of the De Gasperi Foundation.

He accumulated such roles with the Presidency of the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI), a non-profit organization of internationalist character, working under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He was also Special Advisor to the Serbian Government for the EU integration process, and President of the High Court of Sport Justice (CONI). Dr Franco Frattini also served as judge of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne.

Dr Franco Frattini received the “Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic” and was distinguished with the “Commander of the Legion of Honour” by the President of France. In 2011 Frattini received the “Golden Neck Chain of the Olympic Order”, the highest honour of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The award was a recognition of his personal commitment and of Italy’s efforts to have the IOC awarded Observer status at the United Nations. Franco Frattini is also decorated with the “Order of Friendship”, a State decoration of the Russian Federation.