The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation is one of the main intriductions of the Development Cooperation Reform Law (Law No. 125/2014) and began its operations in January 2016, with the aim of aligning Italy with its main European and international partners in its development efforts.
The Agency is a model used in all major European countries and must respond to the need for more professional and innovative cooperation, with the necessary degree of flexibility in its tools in a mutable landscape. The Agency has its headquarter in Rome, an office in Florence, and 20 offices abroad for monitoring, implementation, and on-the-ground analysis of partner countries’ development needs.
The Agency’s task is to carry out technical and operational activities related to the investigation, formulation, financing, management, and oversight of international cooperation initiatives.
THE ITALIAN COOPERATION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
AICS Tirana commitment in the Region is perfectly in line with the Italian Government history in the development sector in the different countries, and it is now part of the wider European work for the accession for the 6 countries to the European Union, well- known as Berlin process and launched in 2014.
European Commission provided in different documents specific indications following Balkan countries’ interest to access to the EU, which are the basis of the Italian Cooperation logic and strategy in the region. A credible enlargement perspective and enhanced EU engagement for Western Balkans established six priorities and areas of intervention:
- Rule of Law;
- Security and migration;
- Socio-economic development;
- Connectivity;
- Digital Agenda;
- Reconciliation and good neighbourly relations.
These 6 areas of intervention contain 35 negotiation chapters including all the sectors to be updated according with the European acquis Communautaire.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro incorporated EU recommendations through strategic documents and national programmes, that AICS Tirana is using to develop its own strategy.
In all the national political agendas dedicated to development there are recurrent topics and sectors such as good governance and fight to corruption, inclusion and social protection, access to health and good-quality education for all, job opportunities and enhancement of national economy, green economy and environment protection, a tool for tourism development along with cultural identity valorisation. National strategies see in diasporas an important resource for national development, and at the same time give a special focus on youth, recognized as change and social cohesion bearers through art, sport and innovation. Western Balkans countries consider innovation and digitization as essential tools for their own development and for the wellness of the citizens.
Disaster risk and vulnerability of the territory is another common issue in the 6 countries. Extreme heath, floods, landslides, drought, fires and earthquakes a re a real threat in the region and national governments want to strengthen their own capacity to manage this kind of risks. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia North Macedonia and Montenegro take part to the European Union Civil Protection Mechanisms and all Balkan countries highly committed to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; however, current activities are not yet adequate to the disaster risk’s increase due to climate change, in terms of frequency and regularity.
In the second half of 2025, 3 new projects with regional activities have been launched, in addition to the EU funded project “Culture and Creativity in the Western Balkans”, implemented in Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
These new projects summarize AICS Tirana approach and goals, aiming at facilitating dialogue and reconciliation in the Region, working on key-themes such as disaster risk management, natural capital protection, diaspora involvement for economic development.
- “Strengthening Transboundary Collaboration and Capacities on Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Systems in the Western Balkan”
- “Shar Dinaric – Sustainable development and protection of natural heritage in the cross-border Dinaric Alps”
- “Leveraging the Potential of Diaspora to Advance EU Accession and Labour Mobility in the Western Balkans”
