Here are some useful websites, books, magazines, sources and resources for either language or content (or both)
Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
in
English and
Italian (particularly
to understand Italy’s position on specific issues
for
example: https://www.esteri.it/it/unita_crisi/
https://www.esteri.it/en/unita_crisi/
https://www.esteri.it/it/ministero/sportello_info/domandefrequenti/sezione_viaggiare/
https://www.esteri.it/en/ministero/sportello_info/domandefrequenti/sezione_viaggiare/
https://www.viaggiaresicuri.it/home
https://www.dovesiamonelmondo.it/home.html
https://www.esteri.it/it/servizi-opportunita/italiani-all-estero/aire_0/
https://www.esteri.it/en/servizi-opportunita/italiani-all-estero/aire_0/
https://www.esteri.it/it/ministero/struttura/laretediplomatica/
https://www.esteri.it/en/ministero/struttura/laretediplomatica/
https://serviziconsolari.esteri.it/home
https://serviziconsolari.esteri.it/home
La Rappresentanza
Permanente d’Italia presso le Nazioni Unite a New York
https://italyun.esteri.it/it/
See also:
https://www.onuitalia.it/onu-in-italia/
The United Nations
and Italy
http://www.un.org/en/ main portal in English
https://www.un.org/en/about-us general
introduction
UN News
https://news.un.org/en/advanced-search
https://italyun.esteri.it/en/italy-and-the-united-nations/ and all the linked pages
https://unric.org/it/tag/roma/ next door to the SIOI
https://archive.unric.org/it/lonu-in-italia?start=10
The UN in
Brief
https://unric.org/it/le-nazioni-unite-in-breve/
https://unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/united_nations/un_introduction.html
Italy’s role in the world, some examples:
Italy and the
campaign for a universal moratorium on the death penalty.
https://onuitalia.com/2024/11/18/pena-di-morte-aumentano-i-consensi-per-la-moratoria/
‘We have also
co-sponsored a number of important resolutions. I would just like to mention
the resolution on the moratorium on the death penalty, which passed with a very
high number of votes, the highest ever, 130 votes.’
Presidency of the G20, 2021
https://www.oecd.org/en/about/oecd-and-g20/g20-italy-2021-presidency.html
and the G20 ROME LEADERS’ DECLARATION
the 2023 G20 NEW DELHI LEADERS’ DECLARATION
https://www.mea.gov.in/images/CPV/G20-New-Delhi-Leaders-Declaration.pdf
the 2024 G20 RIO DE JANEIRO LEADERS’ DECLARATION
https://www.g20.utoronto.ca/2024/241118-declaration.html
the 2025 G20 SOUTH AFRICA LEADERS’ DECLARATION
https://www.g20.utoronto.ca/2025/251122-declaration.html
The Italian Presidency of the G7 summit 2024
https://www.g7italy.it/en/
https://www.dt.mef.gov.it/en/tema_del_mese/tema_mese0035.html
https://www.esteri.it/it/temi/organizzazioni_internazionali/g7/presidenza-italiana-del-g7/
https://www.esteri.it/en/temi/organizzazioni_internazionali/g7/presidenza-italiana-del-g7/
Italy on the UN Security Council
2017:
https://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2017/01/italyontheunsecuritycouncil-compressed.pdf
Italy and UN Security Council Reform
https://italyun.esteri.it/en/italy-and-the-united-nations/uniting-for-consensus-ufc/
https://italyun.esteri.it/en/italy-and-the-united-nations/the-security-council/
2022 https://italyun.esteri.it/rappresentanza_onu/it/comunicazione/archivio-news/2022/02/general-assembly-intergovernmental.html
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sgsm22214.doc.htm
2024 https://italyun.esteri.it/en/news/dalla_rappresentanza/2024/11/statement-by-italys-permanent-representative-ambassador-maurizio-massari-on-behalf-of-the-uniting-for-consensus-group-annual-debate-on-agenda-item-122-entitled-question-of-equitable-repres/
Speeches by
Italian leaders at international events
PM Meloni’s Speeches at the COP World Leaders Summit
https://www.governo.it/en/articolo/president-meloni-s-speech-cop27-world-leaders-summit/20951
https://www.governo.it/it/articolo/cop29-high-level-segment-heads-states-and-government/27040
Foreign Minister Tajani speech at the COP30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK2ZLtU0Vlk
PM Meloni’s press conference at the NATO Summit in
Vilnius, Lithuania in July 2023
https://www.governo.it/en/articolo/president-meloni-s-press-conference-nato-summit-vilnius/23142
at the NATO Summit
in Washington in July 2024
https://www.governo.it/it/articolo/il-presidente-meloni-al-vertice-nato-washington/26195
at the NATO Summit in the Hague in June 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOx5k7gdH6M
https://www.governo.it/it/articolo/vertice-nato-il-punto-stampa-del-presidente-meloni/29089
https://www.governo.it/en/articolo/president-meloni-s-press-point-nato-summit/29123
Il summit della NATO del 2026 si terrà ad Ankara, in Turchia, il 7 e l'8 luglio 2026.
Some position
papers and various points and comments on the Mediterranean and wider
Mediterranean area, the Balkans, the Mattei Plan, the EU and Italian migration
strategy, the crisis in the Middle East and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The
Mediterranean - The
Italian Strategy in the Mediterranean, statements and opinions
https://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2017/12/rapporto-med-maeci-ita.pdf
https://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2017/12/med-maeci-eng.pdf so some translation practice!
https://www.esteri.it/en/temi/aree_geografiche/mediterr_mo/
https://www.ispionline.it/en/tag/mediterranean
Regional Plan for the Adriatic-Balkans
area
https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Piano-Regione-Adriatico-Balcanica_DEF_ridotto.pdf
https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Piano-Regione-Adriatico-Balcanica_DEF-2.pdf
The Mattei Plan (see also below the
Africa-EU Partnership) -
https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ISPI_FPC-Piano-Mattei.pdf
https://www.governo.it/en/artcolo/mattei-plan-africa/31297
https://www.iai.it/it/pubblicazioni/c05/mattei-plan-after-addis-ababa-italy-africa-summit
the Middle
East crisis - https://ambnewdelhi.esteri.it/en/news/dall_ambasciata/2026/05/the-hormuz-crisis-a-view-from-rome-op-ed-by-dpm-tajani-hindustan-times-may-19-2026/
Meloni
https://www.governo.it/it/node/31280
Migration
-
Artificial
Intelligence – some background
https://assets.innovazione.gov.it/1637937177-programma-strategico-iaweb-2.pdf
https://assets.innovazione.gov.it/1637777513-strategic-program-aiweb.pdf
https://www.confindustria.it/documenti/lintelligenza-artificiale-per-il-sistema-italia-report-2025/
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai
The Africa-EU Partnership
https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway_en
https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/africa-eu-partnership_en
https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/briefs/beyond-summits-africa-eu-partnership-priority
https://euobserver.com/209696/europe-must-treat-africa-like-a-partner-not-a-problem/
The European
Union
https://european-union.europa.eu/index_it main portal
in Italian
https://european-union.europa.eu/index_en main portal in English
the newsroom
https://european-union.europa.eu/news-and-events/featured-news_en
The Italian
government and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (for news and
sometimes the possibility to do translation)
Three examples (two for translation practice):
https://www.governo.it/it/articolo/dichiarazione-sul-contrasto-alla-migrazione-illegale/31725
https://www.governo.it/en/articolo/illegal-migration-update-statement/31727
https://www.governo.it/sites/governo.it/files/DichiarazioneMigrazioneIllegale_20260504.pdf
https://www.governo.it/it/articolo/dichiarazione-del-presidente-meloni/29363
https://www.governo.it/en/articolo/statement-president-meloni/29364
Italia Domani, the
National Recovery and Resilience Plan
Open in Italian, translate and check the English
version
https://italiadomani.gov.it/it/home.html
https://italiadomani.gov.it/en/home.html
https://www.lavoripubblici.it/news/pnrr-scadenza-30-giugno-2026-allarme-ritardi-proroga-2027-38037
Il sito ufficiale
del Presidente della Repubblica italiana
https://www.quirinale.it/
https://www.quirinale.it/ricerca/discorsi
For example:
https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/93454
https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/93492
https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/84169
https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/84168
You can search for speeches in English, like this one:
https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/107127
more links about
making a speech on
https://youngdip.blogspot.com/2025/09/some-language-and-structure-for.html
https://youngdip.blogspot.com/2024/08/some-language-and-structure-for.html
Publications, websites and a podcast in English on
IR
Foreign
Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/tags/archives
Chatham
House
https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/international-affairs-journal
The Guardian
and Guardian Weekly
http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekly
The
Economist
The Wall
Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/news/types/europe-news
Foreign
Policy
Global
Policy
Global
Policy Journal
http://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/
The Global
Policy Institute
Global
Issues
International
Crisis Group
Journal
associated with the IR Department at the London School of Economics
https://www.lse.ac.uk/international-relations/research/journals/international-politics-journal
Greenpeace
https://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/news/
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/
https://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/
Amnesty
International
Human Rights
Watch
A Yale lecture course giving a US point of view on
international relations
The first of 26 lectures in
chronological order. See the list on the right of the page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDqvzFY72mg&list=PLh9mgdi4rNeyViG2ar68jkgEi4y6doNZy
A Basic
course book on IR in English (good for both language and
content)
For a university-level foundation
bridging IR theory with real-world issues, "Global Politics" by Ben
Whitham and Andrew Heywood (2023 and 2024
editions) is often indicated as the premier choice. Combine this foundational
text with "International Relations" by Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon
C. Pevehouse to tie theoretical concepts like realism and liberalism
directly to contemporary events.
Textbooks can be very expensive. Can you find ithem
in a library?
Also https://academicearth.org/international-relations/
IR magazine in English (del Ministero degli Affari Esteri)
Longitude, The
Italian Monthly on World Affairs in English – to have an idea go to:
https://www.longitude.it/
and click on the latest magazine cover on the left and
then on one of the articles inside
and in Italian: Internazionale magazine
you can often find the original
articles (which have been translated into Italian in Internazionale) in
English, French, Spanish or German on internet by putting in the journalists
name and the topic of the article.
Excellent text on Human Rights and International Law
Crimes Against Humanity: The Struggle for
Global Justice, Geoffrey
Robertson, Penguin Books
The definitive book on human rights law, an old classic but
now updated with a new chapter on war crimes in Ukraine and the continuing war
in Gaza
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crimes-Against-Humanity-Struggle-Justice/dp/1802063242#
or
A really good podcast:
The Rest is Politics:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-politics/id1611374685
lots of episodes free on YouTube
Dictionaries
Monolingual
English Dictionary
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD)
This is one
of the best monolingual learner’s dictionaries of English. A learner’s
dictionary gives special help with the things language learners need—irregular
forms, dependent prepositions, formal/informal language, particular grammar,
etc.
See also: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/
Bilingual Dictionary
Use a
monolingual dictionary to understand how to use new vocabulary (for example
when you want to write). Use a bilingual dictionary when you need to quickly
check the meaning of a specific term.
il Ragazzini 2024,
dizionario inglese-italiano italiano-inglese
https://www.amazon.it/Ragazzini-Dizionario-inglese-italiano-italiano-inglese-app/dp/8808651983
Online dictionaries
Context Reverso Check with me how to make best use of it
https://context.reverso.net/traduzione/
examples: http://context.reverso.net/traduzione/italiano-inglese/fornire
http://context.reverso.net/traduzione/inglese-italiano/provide
Reverso Dictionary
http://dictionary.reverso.net/italian-english/
example:
https://dictionary.reverso.net/italian-english/assistere
https://www.wordreference.com/
examples: https://www.wordreference.com/iten/chiavetta
http://www.wordreference.com/enit/diplomat
http://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario_inglese/index.shtml
examples
https://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario_inglese/Inglese/D/diplomacy.shtml
http://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario_inglese/Italiano/C/concorso_1.shtml
https://dizionari.corriere.it/index.shtml?refresh_ce
Glosbe Dictionary
example: https://glosbe.com/en/it/truce
Other dictionaries
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-italian/
example: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/italian-english/principio
https://www.stars21.com/dictionary/italian/
https://www.stars21.com/dictionary/italian/english/
Diplomacy Dictionary
Download of old
dictionary of international relations
https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9780140513974/the-penguin-dictionary-of-international-relations
Dizionario di diplomazia e relazioni internazionali-
Dictionary
of diplomacy and international relations.
inglese-italiano,
English-Italian dictionary
Buri M. Rosaria, Editore
Argo, collana Quaderni Isufi, currently out of print, but maybe on Amazon or
from IR students selling their books or in a library. Here are 3 possibilities:
https://www.ibs.it/dizionario-di-diplomazia-relazioni-internazionali-libro-maria-rosaria-buri/e/9788882343514
British National Corpus
http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk/
A corpus is the raw material of dictionaries. Look up any word or expression to
see examples of how it combines with other words in native-speaker English.
To do a
search, go here and log in:
https://www.english-corpora.org/bnc/
I put in ‘ceasefire’ and got 678 examples, which I opened by clicking on
the right
Grammar Exercise Books
Essential Grammar in Use – Raymond Murphy, Cambridge University Press
English Grammar in Use – Raymond Murphy, Cambridge University Press
Advanced Grammar
in Use – Martin Hewings, Cambridge University Press
Advanced Language
Practice – Michael Vince MacMillan
https://trainingintoeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/advanced-language-practice.pdf
Grammar Reference Book
Practical English Usage – Michael Swan, Oxford University Press
Writing
Essays
Writing
Academic English by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, publisher Longman
Sites where
you can study English
Here is a
site where you can check and practice grammar structures:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar
(from here you can also access reading and other resources)
There is also:
https://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/grammar.html
e.g. http://vivquarry.com/wkshts/linkwd2.html
and
a book https://www.amazon.com/Intermediate-Advanced-Writing-English-Language/dp/0738601225
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/free-resources/writing/c1
and good for
IR language content
and
international relations essays
ieltsbuddy.com/international-relations-essays.html
I think the best sites for some essential practice
are:
Exam English ✓Free Practice Tests for learners of English
http://examenglish.com/cambridge_esol.php
for lots of free practice material at different levels (about this more later)
for example:
https://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_general_reading1.htm
and
BBC Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish new address
and http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/ old address (but still available)
you should explore the site. For example:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/
is for
listening practice and dictation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/
is for grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation
Other sites where you can practice English
iTunes U (via iTunes , which you
must install)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/genre/podcasts-education/id1304
for podcasts of university lectures and courses and to see how international
relations is taught in English.
https://is.as.uky.edu/five-international-studies-podcasts-follow
https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/politics-and-international-relations-podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/department-of-international-relations/id545994748
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/politics-and-international-relations-podcasts/id538008150
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-relations-for-ipod-iphone/id913182663
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design)
http://www.ted.com/
Fantastic presentations from some of the most innovative people in the world.
Watching presentations is a really good way to practice comprehension.
e.g. https://www.ted.com/playlists/73/the_global_power_shift
TV Channels
The aim here
is to listen and improve your comprehension, stay up to date (so you should
also follow the telegiornale in Italian) and absorb some of the language.
BBC
France 24 in English
Aljazeera in
English
You can also
get old TV programs and films on YouTube:
A
little light translation! for more and easier links see: https://youngdip.blogspot.com a little light translation
Don’t forget, if you need to expand your
knowledge of basic vocabulary, go to the EU site where you will find this
document (and many more) to download in Italian, English and maybe your second
language too.
The EU in 2025
https://op.europa.eu/webpub/com/general-report-2025/it/ 119 pages
https://op.europa.eu/webpub/com/general-report-2025/en/
The Council of the EU, centre for press releases is another site where
you can do more note-taking on vocabulary and sometimes translation:
for example:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/06/10/public-statement-by-president-costa-following-the-eu-republic-of-korea-summit/
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/it/press/press-releases/
The UN
There is also the UN Annual Report 2025 (or 2024
etc..) for note-taking on the language, unless you want to translate from
French or Spanish into English!
https://www.un.org/annualreport/
Il concorso diplomatico
https://www.esteri.it/it/trasparenza_comunicazioni_legali/bandi_di_concorso/
Le prove attitudinali 2026 I
think the part in English was pretty easy in 2026. Of course the problem is
that you only have one minute for each question and next year could be more
difficult as in some previous years.
Le prove attitudinali del 2025
Le prove attitudinali del
2024
Le prove attitudinali del
2023
Le prove attitudinali del
2022
Le prove attitudinali del
2021
Le
prove scritte del 2026 - the
titles for the essays for all subjects
le prove scritte
del 2025
le prove scritte
del 2024
le prove scritte
del 2023
le prove scritte
del 2022
le prove scritte
del 2021
https://www.esteri.it/it/trasparenza_comunicazioni_legali/bandi_di_concorso/concorsi/prove-scritte-2021/
Some old sources and texts in previous prove:
2016 https://www.eureporter.co/
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32015R0478
Have a good look at the EU regulation on page 10 of
the 2016 prova:
https://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2016/07/questionario3-versionedistampaa.pdf
2017
2018
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43381741
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/animal-rights-group-peta-claims-12170446
2019
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1904/190419-notre-dame-r.html
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1904/190417-nuclear-reactor-r.html
Save my blog address:
and have a look at:
Istituto Affari Internazionali
https://www.iai.it/it/international-spectator-la-rivista
https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/regolamento_biblioteca_iai.pdf
for example:
https://www.iai.it/it/pubblicazioni/c05/not-europes-war-gulf-crisis-and-eus-maritime-dilemma
