Law of 26th February 1987, n. 49

NEW REGULATION OF THE ITALIAN COOPERATION WITH THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
(ABSTRACT)

Art. 1 (Purposes)

The Development Cooperation is an integral part of the Italian Foreign Politics. It pursues solidarity and full realization of the fundamental human rights among people and draws its inspiration from the principles sanctioned by the United Nations and by the EEC- ACP conventions.

Its aims are to satisfy primary needs and above all at safeguarding human life, but also to reach food self-sufficiency, the valorisation of human resources, the conservation of the environmental heritage, the accomplishment and consolidation of the internal processes of development and the economic, social and cultural growth of the developing countries. The Development Cooperation must also aim to improve conditions both for women and children and to support the promotion of women.

It includes public and private enterprises, set up to work in the manner provided by this law. The mentioned enterprises operate mainly within multisectorial programmes which are arranged during special intergovernmental meetings with the beneficiary countries, on a pluriannual basis and according to geographical concentration criteria.

Exceptional interventions intended respond to states of calamity and situations of undernourishment and poor hygienic and sanitary conditions, threatening the survival of the population are included in the goals of the Development Cooperation.

The Development Cooperation allocations cannot be used either directly or indirectly in financing military activities.

Briefly, the activity of the Development Cooperation also concerns:

• Drawing up surveys; planning, supplying and building of facilities, equipments and services; realization of integrated development projects; accomplishment of enterprises which can also have financial features and are able to attain the purposes described in the art. 1;
• Participation, which can also be financial, in the activities and the capital sum of organizations, banks and international funds involved in cooperation with developing countries, as well as participation in the activity of the European Economic Community development cooperation;
• Employment of qualified staff in charge of technical assistance, administration and management, evaluating and monitoring the Development Cooperation activities;
• Supporting the realization of projects and interventions run by qualified non-governmental organizations, also trough the dispatch of volunteers and personnel to the developing countries;
• Professional training and social promotion of citizens of developing countries in loco, in other developing countries or in Italy, training Italian personnel appointed to carry out development cooperation activities;
• Realization of specific interventions to improve the condition of women and children, promoting the cultural and social development of women through their direct involvement;
• Establishing programmes of agricultural restructuring in order to obstruct the production of narcotics in the developing countries;
• Promoting educational programmes dealing with development issues, also in the didactic field; supporting initiatives aimed at intensifying cultural exchanges between Italy and the developing countries, particularly among young people;
• Realization of interventions in the field of scientific and technological research in order to transfer suitable technologies to the developing countries;
• Adoption of instruments and interventions, which can also have financial features, in order to promote exchanges among developing countries, the stabilization of internal and regional markets and the reduction of the indebtedness, according to the European Community programmes and activities;
• Supporting the information and communication programmes which foster a greater participation of the peoples to the processes of democracy and development of the beneficiary countries.