Donors, implementing agencies and DFI/PDB cooperation. The case of Italy: MAECI, AICS and CDP

There are three main actors in the Italian development cooperation system: (i) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (referred to by its Italian acronym, MAECI), (ii) the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS, from the Italian acronym) and (iii) Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), a prominent Italian investment bank. The roles of these main players were reshaped in 2014 with the adoption of Law 125/2014, aimed at fostering the involvement of new actors from the non-profit and private sectors and aligning Italian international cooperation with the prevailing models of other European countries. To improve policy coherence, the law introduced the Inter-Ministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development Policy (known by the acronym CICS, from the Italian name). It also created the position of Deputy Minister for Cooperation, under the MAECI. Furthermore, it established the National Council for Development Cooperation (CNCS), a body for debate and consultation among public and private, commercial and non-profit stakeholders operating in the sphere of international development cooperation.