KEY QUESTIONS the Big Six
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Italy Donor Profile KEY QUESTIONS the big six Who are the main actors in Italian development cooperation? The MAECI leads on strategy; Italy’s new develop- ment. The Joint Development Cooperation Commit- ment agency, AICS, implements tee (Comitato Congiunto) decides on operational is- sues, including on funding for projects over €2 million The Italian Prime Minister engages in development when (US$2.2 million). It is chaired by the MAECI and com- it comes to high-level commitments or international con- posed of the heads of MAECI’s DGCS and the develop- ferences. Since December 2016, Paolo Gentiloni (Demo- ment agency AICS. cratic Party, PD) is Prime Minister of Italy. Following gen- eral elections in March 2018, Gentiloni will remain The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation caretaker Prime Minister until a new government is (AICS) was set up in January 2016. It is in charge of devel- formed. A new government may lead to changes in polit- oping, supervising, and directly implementing pro- ical leadership and strategic priorities in development grams. The agency may only autonomously approve pro- policy. ject funds of up to €2 million (US$2.2 million). Its staff number is limited by law to 200. Italian civil society or- The 2014 law on cooperation profoundly restructured It- ganizations (CSOs) are concerned that the human re- aly’s development cooperation system: It strongly aligns source constraint could limit the agency’s capacity to development policy with foreign affairs. Within govern- implement the planned increase in development pro- ment, two ministries are involved in development coop- grams. eration: In addition, the 2014 reform introduced the first Italian • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International development finance institution as part of theBank of Cooperation (MAECI) is responsible for defining the Deposits and Loans (CDP), a joint-stock company un- strategic direction of development policy. It is current- der public control that manages the entire Italian postal ly headed by Angelino Alfano (founder of the New savings and provides loans to the Italian state or local Centre-Right party). Within the MAECI, the Deputy governments. It finances development projects through Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mario Giro) manages de- private and public financing (primarily blending MAECI velopment policy. He supervises the MAECI’s Directo- and MEF resources with EU funding), risk-sharing, and rate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) and capital-risk instruments, and is meant to improve “ac- the work of the Italian Agency for Development Coop- cess, control, and coordination of the financial activities eration (AICS), as well as Italy’s new development of banks and multilateral funds”. The CDP is supervised bank. The DGCS is in charge of defining the strategic by the MAECI. direction of development programs. Its Director-Gen- eral is Giorgio Marrapodi since January 2018. Civil society is involved in the policy-making process mainly through the National Council for Develop- • The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), led ment Cooperation (CNCS). It is a consultative body – by Pier Carlo Padoan (no party affiliation), is also a key introduced by the 2014 reform – which brings together 50 player: It has control (jointly with the MAECI) over re- members of different backgrounds: private-sector organ- lations with and contributions to development banks izations, CSOs, and public authorities. It expresses its and funds, and collaborates with the MAECI on the views on the three-year programming guideline and oth- ODA budget. er development issues. The CNCS currently divides its work into three groups (‘Agenda 2030’, ‘private sector’, MAECI and MEF are also members of the Interministe- and ‘migration and development’) that each meet every rial Committee for Development Cooperation two months. (CICS), established in 2014 as part of the reform. The CICS usually meets twice a year to approve the three-year The parliament plays an important role in the budget Programming Guidelines for Italian Development Coop- process. The Italian parliament has two chambers: the eration and the overall ODA budget. The CICS is chaired Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. They examine, by the Prime Minister and composed of the Minister of amend, and vote on the draft budget bill developed by Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister, and representatives the government. The Foreign Affairs committees of both from other ministries, including Finance and Environ- chambers give recommendations on ODA budget amend- 7 donortracker.org March 2018 An initiative by SEEK Development Italy Donor Profile ments, while the Budget committees of both chambers make the final decision. ITALY'S DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION SYSTEM 8 donortracker.org March 2018 An initiative by SEEK Development.