PRESS ACCREDITATION NOTE UPDATE
Third National Conference on Development Cooperation
(Auditorium della Conciliazione and Corsie Sistine of Santo Spirito in Sassia, Rome – 26–27 May 2026)
On Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 May, the third National Conference on Development Cooperation will be held in Rome at the Auditorium della Conciliazione and the Corsie Sistine of Santo Spirito in Sassia. Pursuant to Law No. 125/2014, the Conference is convened every three years by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), with the aim of fostering public participation in the definition of development cooperation policies.
The Conference, entitled CO-OPERA 2026, which will be attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, will provide an important opportunity to assess and present to the wider public the priorities and initiatives of development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. It will also serve as a forum for discussion, proposals and engagement among all stakeholders contributing to the Italian development cooperation system.
The programme is available on the Conference website. The proceedings will open at 10:30 a.m. with thematic sessions. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Development Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, will open the sessions at the Corsie Sistine on “Valuing experiences, imagining the future of Italian Development Cooperation” and “Ten years of AICS in a changing world”.
The event will include the participation of Minister Antonio Tajani in the 3:00 p.m. plenary session entitled “The great Family of Italian development cooperation – teaming TOGETHER”, moderated by RAI journalist Giorgia Cardinaletti. The Minister will also take part in the 4:30 p.m. plenary session, “Italy and major humanitarian crises”.
The Conference will continue on 27 May from 10:00 a.m. at the Corsie Sistine with a plenary session dedicated to “Education and knowledge as the foundation of growth and development”, featuring contributions from Deputy Minister Edmondo Cirielli and the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida. Further thematic sessions will follow.
At 3:00 p.m., at the Auditorium della Conciliazione, the fourth and final plenary session will take place, entitled “Italian Cooperation for the Mattei Plan”, featuring contributions from Deputy Minister Edmondo Cirielli and the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, concluding the CO-OPERA 2026 proceedings.
For further information, please visit the official CO-OPERA 2026 website: https://www.conferenzacoopera.it/
INFORMATION FOR MEDIA OPERATORS:
Journalists, photographers and cameramen will be able to follow the work also in person.
A press room will also be available, with reduced capacity, showing a live audio-visual feed of the sessions
Journalists, photographers and cameramen wishing to cover the event must apply by 4:00 p.m. on Monday 25 May, registering via the following link https://www.conferenzacoopera.it/iscriviti/press.php and completing the application form.
Press representatives who have received confirmation of accreditation may access the Auditorium della Conciliazione from the entrance located in Piazza Pia no. 1, as follows:
Tuesday 26 May
- from 08:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday 27 May
- from 09:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For any clarifications, please contact the Communication Unit at +39 06 3691 3432 – 8210 – 8573 – 3078 – 3450 (accreditamentostampa@esteri.it).
Submitting the above-mentioned personal data means authorising the use thereof in accordance with Italian Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 and the GDPR (EU Regulation 2016/679) by the Unit for Communication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the data controller, for strictly professional purposes and/or purposes related to the performance of the event in question.
