The Deputy Minister in charge of development cooperation, Emanuela Del Re, has held a series of video conferences with the main representatives of the Italian system of international cooperation, in order to discuss the main problems that cooperation activities are facing, due to the pandemic emergency, and to explain what the Foreign Ministry and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) are doing.
Together with representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the Deputy Minister has taken stock of the difficulties that field activities are facing. The Deputy Minister has then asked to be updated on the critical issues related to the hundreds of Italian operators in the field in different countries. “I have reassured CSOs’ representatives about the maximum commitment and availability of the Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic network to do everything possible to bring the operators who ask for it back to Italy and to ensure the best safety conditions for those who decide to stay” – commented the Deputy Minister.
In particular, we have discussed with the representatives of foreign diasporas how they can help to ensure the dissemination of clear and reliable official information and updates in many languages, on the measures taken by the Italian Government to contain and limit the COVID19 contagion and on the economic measures adopted through the decree #CuraItalia.
Eventually, with the coordinators of the National Council for Development Cooperation (CNCS), Del Re agreed on the will to continue to make the “machine” of cooperation work, hoping that the administrative activities related to calls for tenders and reporting will not be interrupted but will continue, as far as possible. She then expressed the wish to start consultations on the next meeting for COOPERA 2021, as soon as the ongoing emergency allows it.
