Policy Updates

On January 28 and 29, 2024, Italy hosted the Africa-Italy Summit, chaired by the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, during which 25 African leaders and diplomats joined Italian and EU leaders to launch the pilot programs of Italy's flagship foreign policy initiative, also known as the Mattei Plan for Africa.

Meloni announced EUR5.5 billion (US$6 billion) in credits, grants, and guarantees under the plan. EUR3 billion (US$3.3 billion) will come from the Italian Climate Fund, as announced at COP28, and EUR2.5 billion (US$2.7 billion) will come from the newly created multilateral fund at the African Development Bank.

Rome identified a set of countries in the SSA and North African regions to begin implementing the plan, and noted aims to expand the list. Among the first projects announced were:

• A large vocational training center on renewable energy in Morocco;
• Education projects in Tunisia; and
• Health accessibility in the Ivory Coast.

Other projects are planned in Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and the DRC.

Priority areas of intervention were announced as:

• Education and training: Interventions will be aimed to promote training teachers, adjusting curricula, launching new vocational and training courses in line with the needs of the labor market, and collaborating with enterprises, particularly involving Italian operators and the Italian SMEs model;
• Agriculture: Interventions will be aimed at decreasing malnutrition rates, fostering the development of agri-food supply chains, and supporting the development of non-fossil biofuels. The development of family farming, the preservation of forestry, and combating and adapting to climate change through integrated agriculture are considered fundamental;
• Health: Interventions will be aimed to promote strengthening health systems, improving accessibility and quality of primary MNCH services, strengthening local capacities for the management, training, and employment of health personnel, research, and digitalization, and developing strategies and systems to prevent and contain health threats, particularly pandemics and natural disasters; and
• Energy: Interventions will be aimed to make Italy an energy hub, acting as a bridge between Europe and Africa. Interventions will feature the climate-energy nexus to strengthen energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies, with initiatives to accelerate energy transition.
• Water: interventions will involve drilling wells powered by photovoltaic systems, maintenance of pre-existing water points, investments in distribution networks, and awareness-raising activities about using clean, potable water.

On November 22, 2023, the Italian Joint Development Cooperation Committee approved additional resources to mitigate the effects of war on Ukrainian and Palestinian civilians, totalling EUR17 million (US$18 million) for Ukraine and EUR5 million (US$5 million) for Palestine.

The committee also approved a package of initiatives, including EUR8 million (US$8.7 million) for Africa, focusing on food security, health, education, and training aimed at professional improvement.

Resources for Tunisia were approved at a total of EUR3 million (US$3 million) for 2024, an increase compared to 2023 programming. Italy has emphasized Tunisia as a priority partner.

The committee voted to approve the channeled allocation of EUR998 million (US$1 billion) in funds for development cooperation initiatives in 2024. The allocations detailed:

• EUR537 million (US$586 million) to bilateral cooperation;
• EUR271 million(US$295 million) to emergency funding; and
• EUR190 million (US$207 million) to multilateral cooperation.

The committee also approved a contribution of EUR2 million(US$2 million) for the Balkan region to strengthen disaster preparedness and response capacities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Finally, the Committee gave a favorable opinion on two initiatives proposed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, which included:

• Financing projects related to the agricultural and agribusiness supply chain through the West African Development Bank; and
• Refinancing of a line of credit in Latin America and the Caribbean in support of investments in the environmental sector and the fight against climate change.

On November 3rd, the Italian Council of the Ministries approved the decree that defined the governance and the scope of the four-year Mattei Plan.

The Mattei Plan will aim to strengthen collaborative initiatives between Italy and African states to identify, define, and implement initiatives in the following areas:

• International cooperation;
• Imports, exports, and the promotion of investments;
• Education, R&D, and innovation;
• Global health;
• Agriculture and food security;
• Sustainable supply and use of natural resources, including water and energy;
• Environmental protection and adaptation;
• Modernization of infrastructure, including digital infrastructure;
• Support for entrepreneurship, in particular, youth and women's entrepreneurship;
• Tourism and culture; and
• Prevention and countering of irregular migration and management of legal migration flows.

The decree established a Steering Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as vice-chairman. Included in the committee were other head ministers, the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Made in Italy, the President of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, the director of AICS, the President of the ITA, representatives from Italian MDBs, and representatives from publicly-owned enterprises, universities, civil society, and private entities.

The decree established that the Prime Minister's office would host the secretariat of the Mattei Plan. The secretariat will support the President to implement and coordinate the Mattei Plan and its updates, as well as lead the secretariat of the Steering Committee and prepare an annual report to Parliament.

On June 9, 2023, Italy's Joint Committee for Development Cooperation approved EUR66 million (US$71 million) worth of projects for partner countries.

African partners comprised the main regional focus of funding, including an EUR10 million (US$11 million) grant to support job development for women and young adults.

Bilateral contributions in the package focused on international organizations, particularly those working in global health and the UN system. Key partnerships included UNICEF, UNESCO, the WHO, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Bari Overseas Agronomic Institute. The projects particularly targeted food security, climate adaptation, and gender equality.

In addition, the committee adopted a resolution to establish an AICS office in Kyiv, Ukraine to showcase the Italy's ongoing support for the country.

On May 24, 2023, Civil Society 7 released its review of the May 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit.

The report looked at six topics, including the nuclear disarmament, climate and environmental justice, the transition to a fair economy, global health, humanitarian aid and conflict, and a resilient and open society, and presented the following findings:

• Nuclear Disarmament: The G7 summit did not focus on nuclear disarmament, and its leaders did not show any commitment to starting time-bound negotiations. While condemning Russia’s nuclear threats, they justified their own nuclear weapons as being for defense and deterrence;
• Climate and Environmental Justice: The G7 summit acknowledged the need to strengthen adaptation measures, enhance resilience support for vulnerable groups, and increase support to the most vulnerable countries for avoiding, minimizing, and addressing losses and damages. It emphasized the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, including non-CO2 gases, and reaffirmed commitment to global methane reduction efforts. However, the report argued that the G7’s approach to climate change, in particular its descriptions of fossil fuels, is far from ideal;
• Transition to a Fair Economy: The G7 summit prioritized “economic security” from its perspective rather than focusing on resolving challenges faced by partner countries. It aimed to decouple supply chains from China, but such decoupling could impose additional burdens on developing countries. The summit lacked strong commitments regarding debt restructuring, international negotiations, and debt cancellation. It also weakened the organization's stance on business and human rights;
• Global Health: The G7 summit fell short of expectations due to time constraints and limitations imposed by Japan. It failed to address intellectual property rights as a key factor in addressing the pandemic and ensuring equitable access to therapeutics. The summit lacked specific commitments, and its focus was more on ordering and reaffirming previous pledges rather than providing the required funding and technological contributions;
• Humanitarian Aid and Conflict: The G7 summit's commitment of US$21 billion in support, with particular focus on addressing food crises and prioritizing education, was welcomed. However, apart from this financial commitment, the summit lacked clear and concrete commitments. It failed to mention the importance of strengthening local leadership and access to humanitarian aid and protection; and
• Resilient and Open Society: The G7 summit did not address the concept of an open society or democracy in its statements. It neglected to discuss civic space and shrinking civil society, and its focus on democracy mainly revolved around countering information warfare. The summit did not address issues like digital space safety, fake news, freedom of expression, or topics covered in previous G7 meetings. The treatment of non-regular immigrants and their dire situations was a significant problem. The summit lacked references to freedom of expression and did not improve citizen participation or support for civil society organizations.

C7 aims to achieve a society envisioned by the SDGs that leaves no one behind, and its criticism of the G7 Hiroshima Summit was presented as a means of holding leaders to account for their role in building a better world.

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) assembled in Hiroshima from May 19-21, 2023 to discuss a wide range of global issues requiring immediate and long-term attention.

On May 20, 2023, the leaders released a communiqué outlining their commitments to the international community. Among other issues, the communiqué focused on infrastructure, humanitarian crises, climate change, global health, and gender.

Key commitments included:

• Mobilizing up to US$600 billion by 2027 for the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, also known as PGII;
• Investing US$21 billion to address worsening humanitarian crises including the global food crises;
• Pledges to mobilize US$100 billion in climate financing annually from 2020 to 2025 for mitigation actions and transparency on implementation;
• Coordinating efforts to enhance governance for health emergencies, promote sustainable health financing, launch the Pandemic Fund, and support LICs and MICs in implementing health regulations; and
• Strengthening gender equality and the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people through effective, multi-sectorial policies.

The G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023 was held during a tense period for both Europe and Asia. The leaders took a strong stance against further aggression and reconfirmed their commitment to promoting sustainable ODA and international collaboration.

On May 14, 2023, the G7 Health Ministers released the G7 Global Plan for UHC Action Agenda.

The plan was designed to support countries in achieving UHC worldwide and serve as a declaration of shared understanding on enhanced finance-health coordination and pandemic PPR financing.

The G7 Global Plan for UHC Action Agenda addressed eight action areas outlining the G7’s role in furthering UHC, including:

• Championing political leadership;
• Equitable implementation;
• Strengthening relevant legal frameworks;
• Supporting health and care workforces;
• Effective investments in public resources;
• Inclusive multi-stakeholder collaboration;
• Gender equality in health; and
• Connecting UHC and health security.

Meanwhile, the G7 has also recognized the need for enhanced finance-health coordination and global health architecture. Already, there have been efforts to strengthen global health architecture and pandemic PPR with the establishment of ACT-A, the G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force, and the Pandemic Fund.

The Health Ministers recognized that there needs to be greater coordination between finance and health, drawing in stakeholders at the national and international levels. Moreover, they stressed the importance of domestic resource mobilization during emergencies, while maintaining strong multilateral mechanisms and financing instruments for pandemic responses and surge financing. Accordingly, the Health Ministers stated that G7 will work closely with the G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force and other partners to achieve these goals.

On April 5, 2023, the Joint Committee for Development Cooperation approved the first tranche of EUR61 million (US$66 million) of Italy's multi-year contribution commitment to the Global Fund.

The initial pledge was announced by Italian Prime Minister Meloni at the G20 summit in Bali in November 2022, totaling €185 million ($199 million). The funding was approved by Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli.

On April 4, 2023, the Hiroshima G7 Global Health Task Force submitted its recommendations for the upcoming G7 summit to the Japanese government.

The Task Force identified two global health challenges that G7 leaders must urgently address: advancing the resilience of health systems and enhancing global solidarity.

To enhance resilience to public health emergencies, the Task Force recommended that G7 members and global health agencies coordinate their external assistance, guided by common principles such as financial sustainability. The report noted that progress in country-led efforts to achieve UHC requires addressing non-communicable diseases and promoting the harmonization of evaluation processes and accountability mechanisms.

To strengthen resilience to public health threats, the Task Force recommended scaling up long-term investments in R&D focusing on vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The report also prioritized diversification and capacity expansion in manufacturing and procurement of medical countermeasures, along with voluntary licensing and technology transfer.

The Task Force also recommended that the G7 promote a multilayered approach to global health governance, including financing, to ensure global solidarity. The report urged the G7 to push for agreement on norms for PPR in all discussions of the WHO accord on PPR and in any amendment of the International Health Regulations. It also called for innovative ways to secure sustainable funding for PPR, including surge financing through close collaboration with the G20 Joint Finance and Health Task Force.

Additionally, the Task Force recommended strengthening regional hubs to advance research, surveillance, and control of endemic and emerging infectious diseases, and sustaining global commitment to UHC and health security.

On March 6, 2023, LINK 2007, a platorm for leading Italian NGOs, published its Work in progress: Papers Advocacy LINK 2007 report.

The report analyzed five priority advocacy issues, including:

• Increasing Italian ODA to the 0.7% ODA/GNI target;
• Building sustainable, fair, and resilient food systems;
• Supporting the "One Health" approach that recognizes the interdependence of human and environmental health challenges;
• Promoting vaccination as a right and a tool to prevent future pandemics; and
• Reinforcing dialogue between government and civil society on the design of the Italian aid programs and strategies.

The report also provided recommendations for advocates across sectors. Among them, the organization called for the recognition of food systems as public goods and fostering collaboration that respects the principle of subsidiarity among international institutions, governments, research, civil society, and the private sector. The platform also urged the international community to expand access to medicines and vaccines also by supporting vaccine production in Africa, though it did not identify specific partner countries.