The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, today chaired at the Farnesina the sixth meeting of the Joint Committee for Development Cooperation 2025. The Committee approved a package of initiatives amounting to over EUR 148 million, in addition to EUR 182 million in financing provided by CDP.
In response to the major humanitarian crises currently unfolding on the international stage, the Committee endorsed a series of measures in favour of Gaza/Palestine (EUR 32.5 million, covering both humanitarian and development assistance), Syria (EUR 10 million), and Ukraine (EUR 21 million).
With regard to Gaza, the Committee approved a voluntary contribution of EUR 10 million to the United Nations for a project by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to be implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), aimed at providing integrated child protection and education services. A further contribution of EUR 3 million was allocated to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the rehabilitation of damaged housing for displaced persons.
Additional humanitarian measures totalling EUR 12.5 million were also adopted, aimed at strengthening the aid-delivery system in coordination with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) (EUR 4 million and EUR 3 million respectively); supporting medical evacuations to Jordan, in cooperation with the WHO and the Bambino Gesù Paediatric Hospital (EUR 2 million); and facilitating the activities of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) for the clearance of unexploded ordnance (EUR 500,000).
As regards Ukraine, the Committee approved a contribution of EUR 10 million to the “Ukraine Energy Support Fund” in response to the country’s energy crisis, as well as financing of EUR 10 million to support the modernisation and digitalisation of railway diagnostic systems to advance EU integration.
Africa remains central to Italian Development Cooperation efforts, with approximately EUR 76 million approved by the Committee, including EUR 32 million for cooperation projects aligned with the Mattei Plan. To address the severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan, two health-sector initiatives were approved, to be implemented through WHO (EUR 3.5 million) and UNOPS (EUR 4.5 million). Programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Tunisia, Libya, Senegal, Guinea, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia were also financed.
Italy’s commitment within the framework of the Global Coffee Initiative is likewise significant, with EUR 25 million allocated for projects supporting a sustainable coffee value chain, to be undertaken in partnership with the World Bank Group and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Finally, the Committee issued a favourable opinion on CDP initiatives including: an investment of up to EUR 20 million in the “SPE Private Equity Fund III” to foster sustainable growth and industrial development in North Africa; initiatives with the Turkish Exim Bank for the financing of projects of common interest up to EUR 100 million; measures to promote trade between Italy and Bangladesh, through the Bangladeshi bank Prime Bank PLC, up to EUR 25 million; and financing of up to 50 million dollars for a fund dedicated to environmental projects in the Amazon region.
