TOWARDS COOPERA 2026
A proposal of LINK 2007 for a more strategic, equitable and effective development cooperation
A proposal of LINK 2007 for a more strategic, equitable and effective development cooperation
27/04/2026
COOPERA 2026 must represent a decisive step in redefining the role, quality and direction of Italian development cooperation, by evolving itself from a formal requirement into a genuine political and operational turning point.
Italian development cooperation is built on a solid foundation: an advanced regulatory framework (Law 125/2014), a system enriched by a wide range of actors, expertise and partnerships, and a tradition that is internationally recognised. The Three-Year Programming and Policy Planning Document 2024–2026 and the Mattei Plan have brought development cooperation back to the forefront of foreign policy, particularly in areas considered strategic, such as Africa.
However, significant challenges remain: insufficient strategic coherence, fragmented interventions, weak integration among instruments, excessive procedural complexity, difficulties in fully valuing all implementing actors, and the risk of partnerships that tend to be more on paper than genuinely practised.
At a historical moment marked by growing instability and an increasing tendency to reduce international relations to dynamics of power and short-term interests, the role of politics becomes once again central in defining the strategies, principles, limits and responsibilities that guide public action. Without such direction, there is a risk that short-term approaches will prevail, weakening international law and shared rules.
The challenge for the next three years is therefore clear: to move from a form of cooperation that is often fragmented and procedural towards one that is more strategic, streamlined, integrated and impact-oriented. Achieving this requires a number of key choices.
There is an urgent need to define a clear, binding and implementable three-year strategy, structured on the specifics of countries and regions, with a limited number of priorities, measurable objectives, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems. Resources and interventions must be concentrated around shared strategic priorities, overcoming fragmentation and favouring multi-annual programmes. Programming must evolve from a mere list of projects into a strategic vision based on contextual analysis and medium- to long-term perspectives, with differentiated and adaptive approaches for stable and fragile contexts.
To be truly equitable, partnerships must be based on dialogue, co-design, local ownership and shared responsibility.
It is also essential to strengthen the multi-stakeholder system that characterises Italian development cooperation. Civil society organisations, local authorities, universities, the private sector and diaspora communities represent complementary resources that should be integrated coherently, while recognising their distinct roles and competencies. In particular, CSOs should be recognised not only as implementing actors but also as partners in policy-making processes, while private sector engagement should be better guided and regulated to ensure consistency with sustainable development objectives.
A crucial issue concerns the procedural instruments of development cooperation, which remain overly complex and poorly suited to operational contexts. A profound reform is needed to bring about a genuine paradigm shift: less emphasis on formal procedures and greater focus on results, accompanied by a conscious and shared approach to risk management, greater operational autonomy, and more streamlined and effective governance. It is also necessary to shift the focus from measuring resources to assessing impact through robust, transparent and results-oriented systems.
Finally, public and private finance must be integrated effectively. Financial instruments should strengthen, rather than replace, grant-based cooperation, avoiding the exclusion of the most fragile contexts and of key social sectors.
COOPERA 2026 should translate these choices into clear and verifiable operational guidelines, capable of ensuring that Italian development cooperation can fully play the role assigned to it by law: a defining component of foreign policy and a credible instrument for solidarity, shared development and equitable relations among peoples.