“Italian Development Cooperation is growing again after years of decline. The is a historic change that strengthens Italy’s international role in helping developing countries. The additional funding will enable our country to implement a realignment plan for our official development assistance and use our contribution to better effect. This will be done by financing international organisations and promoting stronger support for the work of non-governmental organisations, which represent some of the Italy’s best resources abroad, and that of businesses and universities”. These were Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Paolo Gentiloni’s comments on the increased official development assistance (ODA) allocation.
“Development Cooperation is a true strategic investment. Combating poverty helps achieve better peace-making in crisis regions, as well as international stabilisation and the construction of democratic institutions to protect human rights. It also enables us to strengthen our strategy to address the causes of migration flows”.
Between 2008 and 2012 the resources allocated by the Farnesina to official development assistance (ODA) were drastically reduced. By 2014 they represented just 0.17% of gross national income.
This year, 2015, has seen a turning point, with the implementation of the reform law establishing the Development Cooperation Agency and assigning a development bank role to the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. The ultimate aim of increasing the resources allocated to the Farnesina is for ODA to reach 0.7% of gross national income, in line with our international commitments. The budgetary adjustment agreed today increases the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s ODA resources by 121 million euro for 2016, about 40% more than the present level. In absolute terms, our ODA budget will increase from 297 to 418 million euro.
