Rome. Deputy Minister Edmondo Cirielli chairs the eighth meeting of the 2024 Joint Development Cooperation Committee

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for International Cooperation, Hon. Edmondo Cirielli, chaired today at the Foreign Ministry the eighth and last meeting of the 2024 Joint Development Cooperation Committee, which adopted a package of interventions and programmes worth a total of about EUR 430 million.

In line with the Mattei Plan, Africa is again the main beneficiary, with initiatives in Senegal (agribusiness, fisheries, youth employment, gender equality); Tunisia (agribusiness and fisheries); Burkina Faso (health and access to basic health services, climate change); Guinea and Mozambique (health and access to basic health services); Eritrea (cultural heritage); Mali (rural entrepreneurial development); Ghana (textiles); and Malawi (food security, health and access to basic health services). A favourable opinion was expressed on a Cassa Depositi e Prestiti proposal for an initiative to attract private investment to Africa.

Initiatives were also adopted in Colombia, Kosovo and North Macedonia (sustainable tourism); Jordan (support for the economy and the health system); Ukraine (energy security); Palestine (protection of cultural heritage); Bosnia Herzegovina, Pakistan and Syria.

Contributions were adopted for CIHEAM Bari (agrifood ecosystems in the Republic of Congo and Italy-Brazil cooperation for the Italian Pavilion at the upcoming COP30 in Bélem 2025); UNIDO (coffee value chain in Africa). Other contributions were granted to UNIDO-ITPO, the International Labour Organisation - ILO, the International Organisation for Migration - IOM, UNDP and the World Bank.

A guideline was also adopted for a regional initiative in favour of training senior public administration officials from Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique and Tunisia, in collaboration with the National School of Administration, as an operational follow-up to the announcement made by Deputy Minister Ciriellir at the G7 high-level event in Caserta (1 October). Finally, an update on the evaluation of proposals submitted for the 2023 Call for Proposals relating to contributions to initiatives promoted by Local Authorities and Civil Society Organisations was presented, which showed a very positive response in terms of participation.