Development actors consultation: state of the art in 2010

At the end of June, both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance invited all Italian stakeholders in international development cooperation ( NGOs, foundations and all ministries) to a round table to discuss the creation of a regular coordination mechanism. The convenors sketched out the two main objects for such coordinating structure: drafting an overarching vision for the Italian development cooperation, as recommended by the DAC, and piloting some multistakeholders development cooperation interventions, involving private and public players, in partners countries. The idea was very welcomed by all participant and the group is going to meet again in September. In early July during the biannual general meeting the Director General for development cooperation hold with the Italian NGOs, NGOs arrears were updated to reach 30 million euro. These are delayed public financial contributions due to NGOs but these have not been disbursed due to red tape and lack of capacity. In order to complete their interventions, NGOs had to frontload resources to fill this financial gap; they have been waiting for a reimbursement over the last 15 years.

2010 International Military Decrees: a 20% reduction in ODA

The Italian Government has approved a emergency decree to fund the Italian participation in the International peace keeping/enforcement operations in the second half of 2010 - July to December. It is usual for the Italian Government to approve two or more decrees a year to fund international military operations. They generally include additional financial allocations to support development cooperation interventions (ODA eligible).
In 2010, these two decrees provided additional financial resources to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs development cooperation budget up to 72 million euro – a 22% increase. However, the 2010 International military decrees approved less resources for international development cooperation interventions than last year - 22 million euro, a 20% reduction. The total financial resources provided by this second military decree are 12% less than those appropriated in the first semester with a 36% reduction for development cooperation activities. Financial resources for Afghanistan faced a 15% reduction while in other areas – Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan, Pakistan. Somalia - funds were cut by 56% in comparison to the first semester appropriations.