2007 GAO report on Italian ODA

This week, the General Accounting Office released the 2007 report for Italian ODA, the first official qualitative and quantitative assessment of Ministry of Foreign Affairs managed cooperation for last year. In 2007, the MFA cooperation budget disbursed 1.3 million euros, thanks to extra-budget allocation, to fund its 13 sectoral priorities. Bilateral debt cancellations amounted to 510 million while debt conversions peaked at 140 million euros, including Perù (38 million Euro), Egypt (100 million), and Macedonia (1,8 million). The MFA allocated 53 million euros to humanitarian interventions and channelled 365 million to multilateral organizations - doubling the highest level (165 million) reached in 2003. As for geographical allocations, sub-Saharan, Africa received 39% of total allocations from 25% in 2006 - 135 million from 106 million in 2006. The GAO report concludes by listing two concerning trends: un-committed resources to 291 million euros from 234 million in 2006, with a 11% loss in administrative staff for monitoring. Ironically speaking with the GAO report wished an ODA budget increase to enable Italian to meet its EU ODA targets, the Government cut development cooperation 2009 budget, with accepting to assess Parliamentary the recommendation for an ODA increase from September 2008.

Government confirms cut to ODA, despite NGO protests

The government asked a confidence vote on a text confirming the 170 million cut to ODA in MFA budget starting from 2009 , despite different calls from national and international CSOs.

http://www.repubblica.it/2008/07/sezioni/economia/conti-pubblici-76/bono-accusa/bono-accusa.html

Next Fall, the Government could still avoid the 2009 cut by presenting the Budget bill and different motions are already table in the Parliament asking the Government to commit for this ODA increase. Next week Government will whether to accept or reject those motions.

ODA cut: Parliamentary amendments to prevent reductions in ODA allocations

At the beginning of the Parliamentary debate on Decree 112, providing for a three year ODA reduction by 170 million euros (-25% of Ministry of Foreign Affairs ODA envelope), in the Committee for Foreign Affairs, the bill speaker from the ruling coalition expressed his concerns to the Government. Undersecretary Scotti, on behalf of the Government, replied that the government is still working to clearly detail which development cooperation expenditures to cut. Despite some concerns within the ruling coalition, at the moment only member of the opposition presented 3 amendments to avoid the ODA, with no support by any member of the ruling coalition. The in the Foreign Affairs Committee could still provide some space to foster bipartisan agreement to prevent the cut.

Minister of Foreign Affairs wishes a bipartisan ODA reform

On July the 2nd, during his first hearing at the Parliament, the Minister of Foreign Affairs supported a wide approval of a new ODA bill, beyond political parties lines. In his statement, the new ODA law is to make international cooperation, especially the bilateral one, a suitable tool for foreign policy. Eventually, he confirmed Sub-saharan Africa as a key priority of the Italian cooperation.

Italian ODA cut by 510 million euro between 2009-2011

The Government decree n° 112 from June 25th is cutting ODA resources managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) by 170 million euro a year till 2011. After two years of ODA consecutive increases, currently the MFA budget amounts at 738 million euro with the view to be reduced at just 393 millions in 2011 - the same level of the MFA ODA budget after last Berlusconi's 2005 financial bill. In September, the government will still be able to avoid this financial cut when presenting the multiyear State budget.