IABW 2026: civil society as a pillar of equitable and lasting partnerships between Italy and Africa
17/03/2026
LINK 2007 took part in the 9th edition of the Italy–Africa Business Week, one of the main platforms for dialogue and collaboration among institutions, businesses and civil society actors engaged in Italy–Africa relations.
During the 6th of March 2026, the President of LINK 2007, Sandro De Luca, participated as a speaker in the roundtable entitled “Foundations, NGOs and civil society: pillars of inclusive partnerships for Italy–Africa development”, presenting the network’s perspective on the role of civil society in development partnerships.
The discussion also featured Mario Giro (Head of International Relations, Comunità di Sant’Egidio), Maddalena Procopio (Senior Policy Fellow for Africa, European Council on Foreign Relations), Massimo Salvadori (Coordinator, Paolo Chiesi Foundation) and Essa Eskander (President, Federazione dei Lavoratori Egiziani in Italia), and was moderated by Bertrand Honoré Mani Ndongbou (President, Camerunesi di Roma e Lazio).
The debate brought forward a range of perspectives on the role that institutions, foundations, civil society and diaspora communities can play in strengthening relations between Italy and Africa and in promoting inclusive and sustainable development models.
President De Luca highlighted the strategic role of Italian civil society organisations in cooperation partnerships. In particular, he emphasised the value of their presence in local contexts, their capacity to build long-term relationships with African partners, and their contribution in terms of skills and know-how transfer. He also stressed the importance of strengthening the “Sistema Italia” in international cooperation, including through tools and guidelines that enhance the contribution of NGOs and foster their integration into development partnerships.
The discussion also provided further reflections on the African geopolitical context, the outlook for cooperation policies, and the growing role of private actors and diaspora communities in development processes. Overall, the event confirmed the importance of multi-stakeholder dialogue spaces in building stronger and lasting relations between Italy and Africa.
Participating in the 11th edition of the Italy–Africa Business Week represented an important opportunity for LINK 2007 to contribute to the debate on the role of civil society in Italy–Africa partnerships and to strengthen engagement with institutions, foundations and diaspora actors involved in development processes.
Photo: AGR Press
During the Italy–Africa Business Week 2026, LINK 2007 collected a series of perspectives from representatives of international cooperation, civil society, diaspora communities and the private sector on the opportunities and challenges of Italy–Africa cooperation. Watch the short interviews on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlistIABW2026