Giandomenico Picco

Giandomenico Picco, AKA Gianni Picco, born 1948, is an Italian diplomat and former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, who negotiated the release of 11 hostages held by terrorists in Lebanon, earning him the epithets "chief troubleshooter" and "unarmed soldier of diplomacy" from United Nations Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Giandomenico Picco
Born (1948-10-08) October 8, 1948
Italy
Other namesGianni Picco
EducationUniversity of Padua, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Prague, University of Amsterdam
Occupation(s)United Nations officer, last UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs
Years active1972-2017
Known fornegotiations during the Lebanon hostage crisis
Notable workMan Without a Gun (1999)
AwardsPresidential Award for Exceptional Service (US), Order of St. Michael and St. George (UK), Order of Merit (Germany), National Order of the Cedar (Lebanon), Order of Grande Ufficiale della Repubblica (Italy)

Background

Giandomenico Picco was born on October 8, 1948, in Italy.[7][8] He studied at the Liceo Classico Jacopo Stellini in Udine, Italy, BA in political science at the University of Padua, MA in international relations and comparative politics at the University of California at Santa Barbara (via the U.S.-Italy Fulbright Commission), the University of Prague, and a diploma in European integration studies at the University of Amsterdam.[4][6]

Career

United Nations

Picco joined the United Nations in 1973 and served there until 1992.[1][3][4][5][6]

In 1976, Picco began working with Perez de Cuellar in Cyprus, where Picco was serving as political affairs officer to the United Nations Force in Cyprus who reported to its head, de Cuellar.[2]

In 1986, Picco represented de Cuellar (who had succeeded Kurt Waldheim as UN Secretary-General) in negotiations between France and New Zealand over the sinking of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior.[2][6]

Picco's efforts were extremely sensitive: "His trips are often shrouded in mystery, and United Nations officials have tried to keep his current movements even more secret." Often, the only news of his whereabouts or activities were "on mission." Perez de Cuellar was known to deny Picco's involvement in some active hostage negotiation, while journalists might happen to sight him in places like Damascus, Syria.[2]

Peace Negotiations

Picco led or participated in peace negotiations including:

Hostage Negotiations

Picco served as de Cuellar's personal representative to negotiate release of hostages.[9] and may have instigated them.[10] Among those with whom Picco negotiated was Mohammad Javad Zarif.[7][8]

Picco led hostage negotiations including:

  • 1999: Release of 13 Jews arrested in Shiraz, Iran, and charged with espionage. At the request of American Jewish leaders, Picco intervened with Iranian President Khatami and succeeded in obtaining the release of all prisoners.[13]

(Among hostages Picco could not save were American soldiers William Francis Buckley and William R. Higgins.[7])

Private negotiations

In 1992, Picco left the UN. In 1994, he formed the international consulting firm GDP Associates for business negotiations, based in New York City.[1][3][4][5][6] He also became president of the Peace Strategies Project, based in Geneva, Switzerland,[6] and US Equity Partners Holdings, LLC. He has served as director of Levcor International, Inc., and the Carlyle Group.[14]

The Pio Manzù International Research Centre's International Scientific Committee included Picco as vice president and Mikhail Gorbachev.[15] On their behalf, he presented an award to Diana, Princess of Wales.[16]

He has also spoken to the World Affairs Seminar and gave a keynote address to the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in 2017.[17]

Dialogue Among Civilizations

See Dialogue Among Civilizations

In 1999, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed Picco as Personal Representative for the UN Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations, proclaimed in 1998.[1][6] Members included Chinese philosopher Tu Weiming.

Personal life

Picco has married twice, first to Elena Carretta Toth[18] and second wife to Kate Glucksman.[19]

Picco has served on the Ambassador's Council of the United Nation's Association/USA, the European-American Chamber of Commerce, and the International Peace Academy.[20]

Awards

On December 12, 1991, US President George H. W. Bush presented the resenting the Medal of Freedom to de Cuellar and the Presidential Award for Exceptional Service to Picco, while welcoming home American hostages Thomas Sutherland, Alann Steen, Jesse Turner, Joseph Cicippio, and Terry Anderson. Of Picco, President Bush said, "In his years as Special Envoy at the United Nations, Assistant Secretary-General Gianni Picco has sought always to serve peace and to resolve conflict."[21][22][23][24][25]

Works

Picco's principal work, Man Without a Gun (1999), received favorable reviews. Kirkus wrote, "A must-read for anyone who wants to know what the UN really does."[27] Publishers Weekly wrote, "This memoir of an extraordinary career reads like a combination of a thriller and a textbook on the delicate and dangerous art of diplomacy in an often explosive region."[28]

The documentary film, Dawn at Midnight (2014) by Cetywa Powell draws in part from Picco's memoir Man Without a Gun (1999).

Books (English)
  • Lessons of the Iran-Iraq War (1990)[29]
  • International Solidarity and National Sovereignty (Giovanni Delli Zotti, co-editor) (1995)[30]
  • Man Without a Gun (1999)[7]
  • Crossing the Divide: Dialogue Among Civilizations editor/contributor with others (2001)[31]
  • The Fog of Peace with Gabriel Rifkind (2013)[32]
Books (Italian)
  • I labirinti del presente with Antonio Torrenzano (2004)[33]
Articles
  • "The UN and the Use of Force: Leave the Secretary General Out of It," Foreign Affairs (September/October 1976)
  • "A New Afghanistan in a New International Construct," Carnegie Council's U.S. Global Engagement Initiative (USGE) (2014)[34]
Interviews from the United Nations
  • 1998.09.23: Giandomenico Picco, Director of the UN Office for Special Political Affairs
  • 1990.05.24: Giandomenico Picco, Director and Assistant to the UN Secretary-General for Special Assignments
  • 1991.12.06: Giandomenico Picco, UN Assistant Secretary-General
  • 2000.04.20: Giandomenico Picco, Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations

See also

References
  1. "Giandomenico Picco to be Secretary-General's Representative for 'Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations' in 2001". United Nations. 6 August 1999. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  2. Gray, Jerry (16 August 1991). "U.N. Troubleshooter: Shuttling to Free Hostages". New York Times. pp. A8. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  3. Semprini, Francesco (20 December 2020). "Giandomenico Picco, UN Negotiator and Freer of Hostages Now Needs Our Help". La Voce di New York. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  4. "Publisher-supplied biographical information about contributor(s) for Man without a gun : one diplomat's secret struggle to free the hostages, fight terrorism, and end a war / Giandomenico Picco". Library of Congress. 1999. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  5. "Giandomenico Picco". Carnegie Council. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  6. "United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations: Giandomenico Picco". Seton Hall - School of Diplomacy. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  7. Picco, Giandomenico (1999). Man Without a Gun: One Diplomat's Secret Struggle to Free the Hostages, Fight Terrorism, and End a War. Times Books - Random House. pp. 82 (birth), 334 (Buckley). ISBN 9780812929102. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  8. Iran's Foreign Minister Nominee Seen as Olive Branch to US Reuters via VOA (Dubai), 29 July 2013
  9. Ranstorp, Hizb'allah in Lebanon, (1997) p.167
  10. "terror and tehran". www.pbs.org. May 2, 2002.
  11. "Giandomenico Picco - Hostage Negotiator". BBC Witness History. 1991. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  12. Murphy, Kim (21 October 1991). "Freedom for U.S. Hostage Expected Soon". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  13. Robert Collier, "Thirteen Prisoners in Iran: The Untold Story of a Negotiation that Worked," The National Interest, December 11, 2013, https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/thirteen-prisoners-iran-the-untold-story-negotiation-worked-9544
  14. "Our Group". US Equity Partners Holdings, LLC. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  15. "Pio Manzu: The Centre's Structure". Pio Manzù International Research Centre. Archived from the original on November 19, 2007.
  16. ""Diana appeals for the elderly after dropping their charity"". Herald Scotland. 14 October 1996. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  17. "Key Note Address: Giandomenico Picco". Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  18. "Wedding/Celebrations; Mary Keeley, Giacomo Picco". New York Times. 30 April 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  19. "A gift that keeps on giving". Irish Times. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  20. "Former U.N. assistant secretary general to speak at Bates". Bates College. 11 February 1999. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  21. "Remarks on Presenting the Medal of Freedom and the Presidential Award for Exceptional Service to United Nations Officials". The American Presidency Project. 12 December 1991. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  22. "Bush honors former hostages and U.N. envoys". United Press International (UPI). 12 December 1991. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  23. Turner, Douglas (13 December 1991). "White House Aglow for Last Hostages". Buffalo News. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  24. "5 Ex-Hostages Join Bush in Lighting Holiday Tree; U.N. Officials Awarded Medals". Los Angeles Times. 13 December 1991. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  25. Priest, Dana (13 December 1991). "President Honors Former Hostages at National Tree-Lighting Ceremony". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  26. "History: Honorary Doctorates Previously Conferred". Marywood University. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  27. "Man Without a Gun". Kirkus Reviews. 17 May 1999. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  28. "Man Without a Gun". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  29. Picco, Giandomenico (1990). Lessons of the Iran-Iraq War: Mediation and Conflict Resolution. American Association for the Advancement of Science. p. 37. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  30. Giandomenico Picco; Giovanni Delli Zotti, eds. (1995). International Solidarity and National Sovereignty. Istituto de Sociologia Internazionale.
  31. Picco, Giandomenico (2001). Crossing the Divide: Dialogue Among Civilizations. School of Diplomacy and International Relations - Seton Hall University. p. 252. ISBN 9780971606104. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  32. Picco, Giandomenico; Rifkind, Gabrielle (2013). The Fog of Peace: The Human Face of Conflict Resolution. IB Tauris. p. 288. ISBN 9780857723437. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  33. Picco, Giandomenico; Torrenzano, Antonio (2004). I labirinti del presente: guerra, povertà, rischio, instabilità internazionale. L'Harmattan Italia. p. 77. ISBN 9780857723437. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  34. Giandomenico Picco (20 April 2014). "A New Afghanistan in a New International Construct". Carnegie Council. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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