Today marks the opening of the Annual Meeting of Directors of AICS Overseas Offices (December 19–21, 2024), held at the headquarters of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Rome. The event provides an opportunity for dialogue and updates on cooperation topics, with dedicated sessions for reflection and debate on the Agency’s role in supporting the “Mattei Plan.”
Just days after the “States-General of Diplomacy,” the event brings together the heads of 20 AICS offices worldwide, including 10 in Africa. Key participants include Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli, the Director-General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Stefano Gatti, Deputy Coordinator of the Mattei Plan Implementation Structure Lorenzo Ortona, and Director of International Cooperation and Development Finance at Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) Paolo Lombardo.
Also in attendance are Silvia Stilli, spokesperson for the Association of Italian Organizations for Cooperation and International Solidarity (AOI/Link2000/CINI), and Massimo Dal Checco, President of Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo, representing civil society organizations and businesses involved in the development processes of partner countries, respectively. The meeting will also feature a dialogue with peer European agencies, with remarks by Francisco Tierraseca Galdón, Director of the Spanish FIIAPP (International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies).
“This year, marked by international challenges, has seen AICS at the forefront as a key implementer of development cooperation policies, with the launch of numerous projects and the opening of new offices in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda under the Mattei Plan, as well as four new project offices in Syria, Moldova, Zambia, and Indonesia,” said AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi.
“The Directors’ Meeting offers a chance to assess how we can prepare for the commitments and challenges of 2025 while enhancing synergy with all actors within the Italian Cooperation system,” Rusconi continued. “The event will also serve as an opportunity, 10 years after the law that established the Agency and defined its areas and modes of operation, to take stock and identify ways to improve our capacity for action on the ground.”