Transparency of Italian ODA

The initial motion had been initially drafted by the small opposition party “Italia dei Valori”. It took note of the poor score Italy recorded on the PWYF transparency assessment and the total lack of evaluation. The motion asked the Italian government to join IATI. When tabled to be voted additional motions on transparency were filed. The 3 motions by the opposition parties all calling on Italy to join IATI, among additional commitments, such as speeding up the time to report back development results to the Parliament. Conversely the ruling coalition has filed its own motion calling on Italy to increase transparency on development cooperation, including an on-line database but not mention of the IATI. The Motion by the ruling coalition has been fully informed and written by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs staff, that does not want to join IATI fearing transaction costs. The ruling coalition motion makes evident the opposition towards the IATI, that is wrongly deemed as a new database too costly to implement with limited use for Italy that is so far behind in transparency. Karin Kristiansen from Publish What You Fund said “IATI is not binding anyway, and it’s up to each donor implementation schedule to set out when they can do what by, with no costs. On the occasion of the vote ONE, the advocacy and campaigning organisation on development issues, issued a statement addressed to the Italian government on the relation between aid and corruption, presenting transparency as the best mean to stop fraud. ONE recalled the Italian government that ONE had launched a petition that had nearly 75,000 people signing a call g on the Italian government, currently the most opaque donor, to make their aid data more transparent. ONE is to deliver all the signatures on April 20th at the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs At the very last minute the vote has been postponed till next week proplably April 27th , as the Lower House closes for Eastern time.