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Self Report 2017

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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1B
Act early

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • In preparation for the international conference [i.e. World Prevention Forum], Italy will convene a regional forum on conflict prevention to identify and advance elements of successful conflict prevention, which include the participation of the private sector and civil society.


  • Policy
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Italy commits to encourage the Secretary-General to use his prerogative under Article 99 of the Charter as appropriate to brief the Security Council proactively on emerging issues.
  • Advocacy
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Italy commits to support early engagement with countries at risk of conflict, their regional partners and relevant regional/sub regional organizations, using tools such as timely visiting missions, interactive dialogues, and the role of the Presidency.
  • Operational
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Italy requests that the Secretary-General develop a comprehensive plan to strengthen conflict prevention at the United Nations based on lessons learnt and recommendations emanating from the Advisory Group of Experts on the 2015 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture, the Report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, and the Global Study on the implementation of resolution 1325, in time for the World Prevention Forum by 2020.
  • Policy
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Italy will actively use early warning findings to identify, address and defuse critical risks before they deteriorate into intractable conflicts by using preventive diplomacy tools such as good offices, peace and development advisors, groups of contact and mediation.
  • Operational
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Italy will strengthen and if necessary, develop comprehensive, shared frameworks for conflict and risk analysis including early warning mechanisms at the local, national, regional and international level.
  • Policy
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Italy will support the United Nations in convening a World Prevention Forum by 2020 to identify how Member States, the UN Secretariat, the Security Council and regional organizations can work more effectively together on conflict prevention and resolution.
  • Policy
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts

  • Italy will systemize gender and gender based violence (GBV) risk analysis in conflict analysis including the use of community and women informed local early warning mechanisms to identify and defuse conflicts early.


  • Operational
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to act early upon potential conflict situations based on early warning findings and shared conflict analysis, in accordance with international law.
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Commit to make successful conflict prevention visible by capturing, consolidating and sharing good practices and lessons learnt.
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts

  • Achievements at a glance

    Italy is an active member of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect in New York and in Geneva. Italy supported the Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes, developed by the Office of the Special Advisers of the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide and on the Responsibility to Protect. Italy contributed to its last review, including in identifying risk factors and indicators.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Italy will establish, in the second part of 2017, a Mediterranean Women Mediators Network with the aim to increase the number of women involved in peacemaking and reconciliation efforts. Italy strongly supports the idea of promoting general awareness of R2P through public awareness campaigns and educational programmes, and sharing national best practices in this regard. During our term on the Security Council, Italy is looking to promote awareness of the R2P among Italian students through an educational initiative in high schools.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑1A - Demonstrate timely, coherent and decisive political leadership ☑ 2A - Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities

1D
Develop solutions with and for people

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Italy commits to strengthening the active participation of women and youth in peacebuilding by linking the implementation of the New Deal to the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 2250 (2015).


  • Operational
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind
  • Italy will establish effective partnerships with relevant international and regional organizations, including the OSCE and African Union, for planning and delivering collective conflict prevention and resolutions strategies based on shared conflict analysis.
  • Partnership
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
  • Italy will invest in strengthening civil society to work on conflict analysis, prevention and resolution.
  • Capacity
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts

  • Achievements at a glance

    Italy, which will take over the Presidency of the OSCE in 2018, has politically and financially supported its initiatives in order to seek a solution to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria. Italy has financed the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) from the beginning (SMM was deployed on March 2014). In 2016, 28 Italian observers participated in 8 OSCE/ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) Election Observation Missions (EOM): in Serbia (June 24), in FYRoM (on June 5 and on December 1 ), in Belarus ( on September 11), in Russia (on September 18 ), in Georgia (on October 8), in Montenegro (on October 16), in Uzbekistan (on December 4). Italy has financed (EUR 100,000 in 2016, EUR 100,000 in 2017) training courses to combat trafficking in human beings, organized by the Carabinieri at the “Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units” (CoESPU) in Vicenza since June 2016.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑2D - Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

2A
Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Italy commits to support public-information campaigns, education, training and liaison with communities aimed at sensitizing affected populations to the risks posed by landmines and explosive hazards, by providing no less than EUR 2-2.5 million each year to UNMAS or ICRC or other implementing agents.
  • Financial Contribution
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy commits to support humanitarian mine action programs aimed at clearing explosive remnants of war (ERW) by providing information and technical, financial and material assistance to locate, remove, destroy and otherwise render ineffective any type of explosive hazard.
  • Operational
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy will support the inclusion of the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict into military manuals, doctrine and other means of dissemination.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to promote and enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially in the conduct of hostilities, for instance by working to prevent civilian harm resulting from the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas, and by sparing civilian infrastructure from military use in the conduct of military operations.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    In 2016, Italy approved humanitarian mine action programs for a total amount of EUR 3.3 million – for activities to be implemented in Bosnia, Colombia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and Libya in partnership with International Organizations (ICRC, UNMAS and OAS) and – in few occasions – local actors. Advocacy activities are also carried out through UNMAS and GICHD. Italy funds demining activities as well as sensitization and victim assistance.

    Italy continued its efforts to promote support to the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use, also by participating in the Second International Conference on Safe Schools in Buenos Aires (March 2017). Last December, Italy co-sponsored the United Nations General Assembly resolution on “Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations”, supporting the inclusion of a reference to the condemnation of all attacks directed against schools in contravention of IHL.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    In 2017, Italy will allocate not less than EUR 2/2.5 million to humanitarian mine action programs.

2B
Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Italy commits to actively promote the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence in humanitarian action by involving, whenever possible, faith based organizations in a constructive dialogue aimed at widening the humanitarian space provided that they are capillary, they are credible vis-à-vis the local communities and they are perceived as neutral.


  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy will review military rules of engagement and operational practice to include measures to protect the delivery of humanitarian assistance and health care.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy will train the military on the applicable legal framework for the protection of health care as well as ethical duties of health care personnel.
  • Training
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to ensure all populations in need receive rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Commit to promote and enhance efforts to respect and protect medical personnel, transports and facilities, as well as humanitarian relief personnel and assets against attacks, threats or other violent acts.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    Italy cooperates with “Faith Based Organisations” and community leaders wherever possible. In Afghanistan, in the frame of an emergency program in the DRR and malnutrition sectors, Italy cooperates with religious leaders to disseminate information on disaster risk reduction and contingency plans. Italy also cooperates with Shuras and Arbabs to involve beneficiaries in nutrition activities. In the framework of our programs to respond to the Syrian crisis in Lebanon, in 2016 Italy funded the activities of the Order of Malta, to support two medical centres in Khaldiye (North of Lebanon) and Kefraya (Bekaa Valley).

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    Italy is among those countries that agreed to provide a contingent of White Helmets to the UN. In addition, Italy started a trial project for the 2014-2016 period concerning the creation of a Civilian Peace Corps operating in the following areas: support for reconciliation, mediation and democratization processes; support for building technical capacities of local populations for conflicts’ resolution; monitoring the respect of human rights and humanitarian laws; humanitarian activities, including support for refugees; peace education; support for local civil population facing environmental emergencies.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Disaster Risk Reduction ☑ Religious engagement

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑1D - Develop solutions with and for people ☑ 4B - Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

2C
Speak out on violations

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Italy will continue to support the competence of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission in accordance with article 90 of Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    Italy continued to support the competence of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC). Last December, Italy participated constructively in the fifth Diplomatic meeting of the States accepting the competence of the IHFFC in Bern.

2D
Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

Joint Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Italy implements commitments made in the United Kingdom led PSVI "Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict" and ensure that investigations of SGBV crimes suffice the standards set in the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, by 2018.


  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
Partners: United Kingdom

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Italy commits to actively focus on addressing long standing human rights concerns and grievances, including patterns of discrimination and marginalization, recognizing this as a key structural cause of conflict and instability within societies.
  • Operational
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy commits to continuing to implement national legislation preventing, combating and prosecuting all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and ensuring the right of victims/survivors to effective assistance and protection.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy commits to designate focal points in relevant government branches responsible for promoting respect for international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law through diplomatic, economic and military relations.
  • Operational
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy commits to offer international humanitarian and human rights law training/dissemination sessions for armed forces. Italy will continue to offer human rights law training in favor of African peace-keepers provided by the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) of Vicenza.
  • Training
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy commits to promote implementation of the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes
  • Advocacy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy declares its support for the Code of Conduct on mass atrocities.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy implements commitments made under the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in emergencies and its road map. Italy commits to advocate for inclusion of Call to Action considerations in relevant multilateral fora, to publish new national guidelines on addressing GBV and gender equality in humanitarian action,and to strengthen GBV services in Palestine.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy will continue to implement domestic legislation to prohibit/limit the use of schools and places of worship in support of the military effort.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy will review domestic legislation and its implementation to ensure that it is consistent with the obligation to respect and protect health care personnel, their means of transport and facilities, as well as humanitarian workers and objects used for humanitarian relief operations against attack.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Implement a coordinated global approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis contexts, including through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    Italy kept promoting an approach that considers the respect for human rights pivotal to guarantee international peace and security, to prevent conflict, to foster sustainable development and to build stable and inclusive societies. Italy continued to actively address long standing human rights concerns. We supported in particular initiatives on the promotion of freedom of religion or belief and on the protection of persons belonging to religious and ethnic minorities, as we consider discrimination and marginalization of these groups potential causes of conflict and instability within societies.

  • Achievements at a glance

    Italy has been among the first signatories and promoters of the Kigali Principles on the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations. Italy contributes with capacity building through specific courses for peacekeepers on the Protection of Civilians, carried out by the Italian Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza. CoESPU’s courses on Protection of Civilians and Gender Protection are devoted to develop the capacity of Police/Troops Contributing Countries to prevent and combat heinous crimes, such as large scale systematic atrocities against populaces. The Center prepares Senior Police Officers, expected to deploy in peace operations, to properly acknowledge and address gender-related issues, with particular reference to the Women Peace and Security Agenda, Rule of Law and Humanitarian Law. Italy participated in the activities promoted within the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in emergency and it is implementing commitments made in that context, in accordance with its Road Map. Last March, Italy took part in the Call to Action Partner Meeting in Geneva.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    The Italian R2P National Focal Point is traditionally a diplomatic officer of the UN and Human Rights Central Directorate, reporting to his chain of command. The Focal Point contributes to the URP both directly and through the Principal Director for UN and Human Rights who is also responsible. The Focal Point also closely collaborates on R2P-relevant themes with the Interministerial Committee on Human Rights, which is hosted by the Political and Security Affairs Directorate, under which the UN and Human Rights Central Directorate is established. Italy has also appointed the National Focal Point for the Women Peace and Security Agenda within the UN and Human Rights Central Directorate of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑2A - Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities ☑ 3D - Empower and protect women and girls

2E
Uphold the rules: a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Italy commits to engage constructively in the intergovernmental process as set out in Resolution 2 of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2015, to find agreement on features and functions of a potential forum of States and ways to enhance the implementation of IHL using the potential of the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and IHL regional forums.
  • Partnership
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Italy will join a coordinated global effort to mobilize States, civil society and global leaders to enhance respect for international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.
  • Advocacy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    Italy engaged constructively in the intergovernmental process on strengthening respect for international humanitarian law, also by participating in the informal meetings and in the two Formal Meetings of this process (November 2016; April 2017). Italy supported the creation of a potential forum of States as an important venue for States to exchange views regularly on IHL issues in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation, in order to enhance respect for IHL.

    Italy attaches the utmost importance to the protection and promotion of human rights which represent a priority issue of our foreign policy. We actively participated in the activities of multilateral organizations in this field, such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as we believe they are of essence in order to mobilize States, civil society and global leaders to enhance respect for human rights.

3A
Reduce and address displacement

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • In support of localized programs, Italy will improve the predictability of both humanitarian and development financing through grant-based and concessional loans in favor of Lebanon and Jordan with large numbers of refugees and IDPs. On the occasion of the Syria donors' conference in London, Italy pledged a three years package (2016-2018) of both humanitarian and development aid amounting $ 400 million ($150 million grants, $200 million soft loans and $50 million debt swap agreement). Italy has already implemented projects in Ethiopia, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Sudan, supported with EUR 10 million from the creation of the EU Valletta Emergency Trust Fund on addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. The Trust Fund has a huge potential to boost resilience through actions aimed at creating socio-economic development, job opportunities and generate income, keeping a special focus on youth, women and hosting communities.


  • Financial Contribution
  • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity
  • Italy will provide long-term, predictable technical and financial support to the countries affected by the Syria crisis and communities with large number of refugees and IDPs, in such ways that improve services and inclusive economic opportunities.
  • Financial
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Italy will work to address the causes of internal displacement, and to support the voluntary return home in safety and dignity, local integration or settlement elsewhere if needed. Italy fully shares the proposal to put the dignity of affected people at the heart of humanitarian action. In this context Italy will focus its humanitarian projects - wherever possible - on the resilience and self-reliance of IDPs and refugees, using the cash-for-work tool. In Lebanon, Italy will double the number of schools rehabilitated (currently 74), and Italy we will bring to 50,000 by 2016 the total number of Syrian children involved in the school feeding program. Italy will continue to carry out - in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior and some Italian NGOs - a resettlement program in favor of the Syrian refugees ("humanitarian corridors") involving no less than 1,000 beneficiaries in the next two years.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Acknowledge the global public good provided by countries and communities which are hosting large numbers of refugees. Commit to providing communities with large numbers of displaced population or receiving large numbers of returnees with the necessary political, policy and financial, support to address the humanitarian and socio-economic impact. To this end, commit to strengthen multilateral financing instruments. Commit to foster host communities' self-reliance and resilience, as part of the comprehensive and integrated approach outlined in core commitment 1.
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Achievements at a glance

    In 2016, Italy funded humanitarian and development programmes to respond to the Syrian crisis for a total amount of EUR 45 million, to cover the immediate needs, but will also to address the longer-term needs of both refugees and host communities, for restoring and improving in a sustainable manner infrastructure and basic services, such as education, job opportunities and healthcare. New initiatives will be funded in 2017 for the same amount. Italy also funded several interventions to assist IDPs and refugees in Iraq (EUR 4.7 million), in the countries of the Lake Chad basin (EUR 6.3 million), in Mali (EUR 1 million), South Sudan and neighbouring countries (EUR 3.9 million), Sudan (EUR 2.4 million), Libya (EUR 2 million).

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑IDPs ☑ Refugees

3D
Empower and protect women and girls

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Italy commits to continue and tailor to crisis settings their support to the implementation of the targets for the 2030 Agenda on maternal, newborn and adolescent health to ensure safe delivery, emergency obstetric, ante natal and post-natal services in crisis settings, improved access to information on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, emergency contraceptive services, voluntary family planning, and basic items for safe delivery and sanitary supplies, necessary medical and psychological services for SGBV survivors as well as improved capacity of health systems and workers with immediate effect.
  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Italy commits to ensuring that its humanitarian response plans and programs reflect the different needs and capacities of women, girls, men and boys with disabilities, by end of 2020.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Italy commits to providing support to national and local leadership to ensure that longer-term, collective programming incorporates gender equality analysis and concrete steps to empower women and girls.
  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Italy commits to request the Secretary General to ensure that all Secretary General Reports and any briefings to the Council from a UN or non-governmental agency include sex and age disaggregated data and take into account findings and recommendations on women's rights and gender equality by human rights bodies and mechanisms.


  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Italy commits to strengthen measures to prevent and avoid disaster-induced displacement by integrating this risk into climate change adaptation and disaster risk management strategies.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy commits to strengthening the active participation of women and youth in peacebuilding by linking the implementation of the New Deal to the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 2250 (2015).


  • Operational
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind

  • Italy will systemize gender and gender based violence (GBV) risk analysis in conflict analysis including the use of community and women informed local early warning mechanisms to identify and defuse conflicts early.


  • Operational
  • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome documents of their review conferences for all women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.
  • Leave No One Behind

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    Italy is strongly committed to preventing and responding to gender-based violence against women in emergencies. We launched the drafting of National Guidelines on Gender Equality and GBV. We promoted the inclusion of GBV considerations in the EU priorities at the United Nations and the 71st UN General Assembly adopted by the Council of the EU in July 2016; in the EU Common Messages on the Iraq crisis approved by the EU Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid in December 2016; the debate under item 27 at UN General Assembly Third Committee and the open debate on Women Peace and Security in the Security Council in October 2016. Within the EU, Italy aims to strongly support EU action in this area.

  • Achievements at a glance

    In 2016, Italy allocated EUR 400,000 to UNICEF to support specialized mental health and psychosocial (MHPSS) services, re-integration and recovery programmes for GBV survivors, including vulnerable populations in Iraq. In 2016, new NGO projects aiming at ensuring maternal, new-born and adolescent health were also approved in Ethiopia (EUR 4 million), Palestine (EUR 1.9 million), Mozambique (EUR 2.7 million). Since June 2016, Italy also funded:
     Afghanistan - UNFPA programme to support RMNCH services in Herat province (EUR 2 million) and a bilateral initiative to reduce maternal and child mortality in Kabul and Herat (EUR 4 million);
     Sudan - UNFPA programme to combat uterine cancer (EUR 400,000);
     Ecuador – a concessional loan to invest in equipment, infrastructure and training in RMNCH (EUR 12 million).

    Italy supported ten UN General Assembly and HRC resolutions on the rights of women and girls and on GBV.

    On December 2016, Italy finalised its third National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security, for the 2017–2019 period. Moreover, for the first time, the Italian Parliament appropriated EUR 2 million for funding the Plan’s implementation.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    New programmes in Palestine have been launched, as follows: Bilateral Programme “IRADA – Women Informing Responses for their Agency, Development and Advocacy” (EUR 1.5 million); UN WOMEN Programme - “Al-Hayyat – A Holistic Approach to Sheltering Services for Women Victims and Survivors of Violence in Palestine” (EUR 500,000); Humanitarian Aid Programme “Peer to Peer – Resilience and empowerment of women and people with disabilities in Gaza” (EUR 300,000). Italy included commitments in its third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2016-2019 and, with specific regard to UN SDGs, the Italian Government has actively participated in the negotiations on the Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    A EUR 3.5 mil programme to support gender equality and address gender based violence in the context of the Syrian crisis is in the pipeline for 2017. Italy will continue to support cooperation programs aimed at addressing discrimination and violence against women and integrate a gender perspective that takes into account the differential experiences of women in conflict situations in order to promote their role. Italy will contribute to the publication of National Guidelines on GBV and gender equality. Italy will support UN Secretary-General’s requests for earmarked peace-building-related resources to be destined to gender equality and an increased presence of women in peace missions.

    In 2017, Italy approved a UNFPA humanitarian project for a total amount of EUR 350,000 to assist women victims of GBV in Yemen and support emergency obstetric services.

    Italy organized, together with the UK, an Arria meeting on the Security Council on 27 March aimed at promoting the appointment of more women mediators and Special Envoys. The Arria meeting laid also the groundwork for the creation of a Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, to be launched in October 2017, by Italy as one of the top priorities for its mandate on the UN Security Council. Italy further commits to including engaging men and boys in gender equality-related initiatives.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑2D - Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

4B
Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Italy commits to develop or reinforce domestic rules, procedures and institutional arrangements for facilitating and regulating international disaster assistance.


  • Policy
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy commits to agree on actions that should be undertaken, within defined timelines, once a heightened risk of an El Niño or La Niña event is confirmed.
  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy commits to create national preparedness strategies and/or partnerships to strengthen national and local emergency management systems for natural disasters, which include: a) inclusive contingency plans for response and recovery that set out clear lines of responsibility, triggers for early action, and pre-committed finance; and include, when regional and global support is required, in what form and how it will be coordinated; b) identification of populations at risk of displacement, and evacuation corridors and sites; c) long-term investment in national and local preparedness, response and recovery capacities capable of responding to natural hazards, including civil protection, social protection, basic services, agriculture and other systems.
  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy commits to develop bilateral and regional contingency plans that identify transboundary disaster displacement risk scenarios.
  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy commits to enhance countries'™ preparedness, and accelerate this initially in twenty of the most at-risk countries, so they reach a minimum level of readiness by 2020.


  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy commits to establish early warning systems with thresholds to trigger urban response protocols for city-level analysis, including urban housing analysis to ensure depiction of affected urban households.


  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy commits to increase national capacity for disaster risk analysis by the establishment of institutional partnership between the Italian Cooperation and the Italian Civil Protection by 2020.
  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy commits to invest in national early warning capacity in a disciplined manner that leverages global and regional support structures, is cost effective, reaches the last mile, and engages the private sector.
  • Financial
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy commits to make the private sector an integral part of natural disaster response and recovery planning, and to promote business continuity.


  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy commits to strengthen measures to prevent and avoid disaster-induced displacement by integrating this risk into climate change adaptation and disaster risk management strategies.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy commits to take a more systematic and integrated approach to risk management through measures that better integrate planning in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, response and recovery, and through closer collaboration between different sectors and partners, so that investments in each are complementary, and based on a common analysis of risk and costs.
  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy commits to the participation of civil society, including local women's groups, and the private sector in the design, implementation and monitoring of disaster risk management policies and programs.


  • Policy
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy re-commits to, in line with the principles and concepts of the Oslo Guidelines, endorse common humanitarian civil-military standards for deploying, receiving, integrating and coordinating foreign military assets in natural disasters.
  • Policy
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy will commit to achieve the Sendai Framework target to increase people's access to multi-hazard early warning systems, and disaster risk information and assessments by 2030, including through initiatives, such as the Climate Risk Early Warning Systems.


  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
  • Commit to improve the understanding, anticipation and preparedness for disaster and climate-related risks by investing in data, analysis and early warning, and developing evidence-based decision-making processes that result in early action.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Achievements at a glance

    In 2016 the Italian Cooperation disbursed EUR 2 million to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).

    In 2016 the Italian Cooperation implemented, in collaboration with FAO, WFP, UNICEF and NGOs, a humanitarian national response plan - worth EUR 10 million - to support some African countries (namely, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Somalia) and its people severely affected by El Niño. The plan combined relief, emergency and medium-term activities in favour of the most vulnerable. An additional contribution of EUR 600,000 was disbursed in 2016 to UNICEF and IFRC for initiatives to be implemented in the Small Islands of the Pacific (Palau, Fiji, Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands). In October 2016, a further EUR 8.7 million programme was approved to mitigate drought’s effects and increase resilience through LRRD and long-term actions to be implemented from 2016 to 2018.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    In the first semester of 2017, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Italian Civil Protection will sign an agreement to foster Italy’s response to international emergencies caused by natural disasters and to improve their cooperation in risk prevention and reduction activities abroad. In 2016 the Italian Cooperation disbursed EUR 2 million to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The same amount will be confirmed in 2017.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Disaster Risk Reduction

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑5B - Invest according to risk

4C
Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Italy commits to actively explore ways to increase financing options (eg. short-term and long-term; grants, loans and other financing tools) to ensure humanitarian needs are met, and reduce people'™s risk and vulnerability, aimed at supporting the achievement of collective outcomes over multiple years.


  • Financial
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
  • Italy commits to improve synergy between humanitarian and development actors in West Africa and in countries affected by the Syrian crisis and by the Niño (Horn of Africa and Mozambique by 2020 based on demonstrated comparative advantage relevant to each context).
  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy commits to increase expenditures on and/or technical assistance provided for research and development to promote innovative solutions that reduce risk and vulnerability.


  • Financial
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Italy commits to investing in capacity building and deployment mechanisms, particularly in the global south, so that requesting countries can more effectively receive pre-verified and quality assured capacities, such as emergency medical teams.
  • Capacity
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Italy re-commits to the proper and coherent use, and the effective coordination of foreign military assets in humanitarian action.


  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • Achievements at a glance

    In June 2016, the Italian Cooperation launched an initiative (EUR 2 million) to support selected Lebanese municipalities in the construction or rehabilitation of public infrastructure through the temporary employment of Syrian refugees and host communities. The Program adopted the Standard Operating Procedures for Cash for Work Projects in Lebanon, developed by the Livelihoods working group established in response to the Syria crisis, employing unskilled workers for about 23 days of work in exchange of a financial incentive of US$ 20 per day. The Program targeted 2,500 direct beneficiaries of cash for work initiatives, both Syrian as well as Lebanese. Moreover, Italy keeps supporting multilateral programmes (ILO, WFP, Madad Fund) providing assistance through cash, especially in the Syrian crisis.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    In the immediate aftermath of an emergency, Italian Cooperation can launch response initiatives using both humanitarian and development instruments. It is the case of the emergency response to the Syrian crisis (EUR 45 million for humanitarian and development programmes in 2016; same amount confirmed in 2017), to El Niño (EUR 10 million for humanitarian programmes in 2016; almost EUR 9 million for LRRD and development projects to be implemented from 2016 to 2018).

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    New cash for work activities are planned for 2017, for a total amount of almost EUR 12 million, including activities for the rehabilitation of services, infrastructures and schools.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Cash ☑ Refugees ☑ Social protection

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑4A - Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems ☑ 5C - Invest in stability

5A
Invest in local capacities

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Italy commits to contribute to a reconfiguration of the international humanitarian financing system to allow critical front-line responder to access adequate, timely and quality funding on a fair basis by: 1) empowering national NGOs to play a central role in programming and delivering principled and coordinated humanitarian assistance; 2) ensuring front-line responders are included in collective coordination platforms and have a seat at the table in collective response processes, thereby promoting stronger partnerships and increased direct access of local and national front-line responding NGOs to humanitarian funding.
  • Financial
  • Invest in Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    New procedures have been approved on the 28th of July 2016 to allow local civil society organisations to submit humanitarian project proposals to AICS. Local CSOs are eligible to funding if they had previous partnerships with CSOs registered in Italy (so called “graduation”). In Lebanon, Italy approved a project presented - as leading applicant - by a local NGO (LOST) in partnership with an Italian NGO (GVC).

    In 2016 Italy funded IFRC programmes for a total amount of EUR 3.3 million enhancing support to Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies involved in the front-line response.

5C
Invest in stability

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Italy commits to allocating additional, predictable resources to the Peacebuilding Fund of at least EUR 2.5 million by 2020 to allow the Fund to continue operations at the current level of $100 million per year.


  • Financial Contribution
  • Invest in Humanity

  • Italy commits additional funding in the amount of at least EUR 2 million by 2020 to support the UN's conflict prevention capacities, in particular conflict analysis and the good offices function and will advocate for the use of regular budget funds for conflict prevention.


  • Financial Contribution
  • Invest in Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    In 2016, Italy issued the first payment of EUR 500,000 to the Peacebuilding Fund and has already disbursed EUR 875.000 to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA).

    In the context of Italy’s term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Italy will launch the initiative for a Mediterranean Women Mediators Network with the aim to increase the participation of women in conflict prevention and mediation.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑1C - Remain engaged and invest in stability

5D
Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • In support of localized programs, Italy will improve the predictability of both humanitarian and development financing through grant-based and concessional loans in favor of Lebanon and Jordan with large numbers of refugees and IDPs. On the occasion of the Syria donors' conference in London, Italy pledged a three years package (2016-2018) of both humanitarian and development aid amounting $ 400 million ($150 million grants, $200 million soft loans and $50 million debt swap agreement). Italy has already implemented projects in Ethiopia, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Sudan, supported with EUR 10 million from the creation of the EU Valletta Emergency Trust Fund on addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. The Trust Fund has a huge potential to boost resilience through actions aimed at creating socio-economic development, job opportunities and generate income, keeping a special focus on youth, women and hosting communities.


  • Financial Contribution
  • Leave No One Behind Invest in Humanity

  • Italy commits to actively explore ways to increase financing options (eg. short-term and long-term; grants, loans and other financing tools) to ensure humanitarian needs are met, and reduce people'™s risk and vulnerability, aimed at supporting the achievement of collective outcomes over multiple years.


  • Financial
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
  • Recognizing that, within a country context, humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, stabilization and climate finance should be more coherent, Italy commits to 1) removing the internal institutional barriers between humanitarian and development finance, both in capitals/headquarters and at country level, in order to mobilize the right mix of humanitarian and development finance and to 2) strengthening the mechanisms for coordination at country level and globally to maximize policy coherence.
  • Operational
  • Invest in Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
  • Invest in Humanity
  • Commit to broaden and adapt the global instruments and approaches to meet urgent needs, reduce risk and vulnerability and increase resilience, without adverse impact on humanitarian principles and overall action (as also proposed in Round Table on "Changing Lives").
  • Invest in Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    As announced at the London Conference in February 2016, Italy will donate a USD 150 million contribution for humanitarian and development actions, covering the period 2016-2018, as part of a wider response package worth USD 400 million. In 2016, Italy funded humanitarian and development programmes to respond to the Syrian crisis for a total amount of EUR 45 million, to cover the immediate needs and provide longer-term assistance to both refugees and host communities, for restoring and improving in a sustainable manner infrastructure and basic services, such as education, job opportunities and healthcare.

    Italy approved new procedures to implement LRRD projects with development funds, lasting up to three years. Italy will join the ICRC Humanitarian Impact Bond, an innovative funding mechanism aimed at mobilizing private capital to support ICRC’s health programmes in fragile and conflict-affected countries, particularly infrastructures for the physical rehabilitation sector.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    The reform of the Italian Cooperation (IC) created a new body, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), in charge of managing development and humanitarian aid programmes since January 2016. AICS organizational structure includes an office - called “Office for humanitarian aid and fragile situations” - with both humanitarian aid and development cooperation tasks, which works not only to respond to crises but also to tackle fragility and building resilience with medium- long term perspective. Due to this configuration, in the immediate aftermath of an emergency, IC can launch response initiatives using both humanitarian and development instruments.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    New initiatives will be funded in 2017 for the same amount of EUR 45 million to cover the immediate needs and provide longer-term assistance to both refugees and host communities, for restoring and improving in a sustainable manner infrastructure and basic services, such as education, job opportunities and healthcare.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Refugees ☑ Social protection

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑3A - Reduce and address displacement

5E
Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Italy commits to increase by 100% (from EUR 1 to 2 million) its contributions to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help ensure its expansion to $1 billion annually by 2018, and to increase the percentage of ODA targeted at the most fragile and conflict affected countries.
  • Financial Contribution
  • Invest in Humanity
  • Italy commits to: 1) endorsing the commitments under the Grand Bargain; and 2) agreeing to reporting requirements that are simplified, proportionate, and coherent (harmonized to best practice).
  • Policy
  • Invest in Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
  • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
  • Invest in Humanity

  • Achievements at a glance

    In 2016 Italy doubled its contribution (EUR 2 Million) to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Italy self-report for the first year of the Grand Bargain was sent to the GB secretariat on the 15th of February 2017.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Italy will contribute EUR 2 million to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in 2017.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Central Emergency Response Fund

  • Specific initiatives

    ☑Grand Bargain

Attachments

  • Italy Report on Disability Commitments
    Transformation - 3G | Disability | Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action
  • Italy Report on the Grand Bargain Commitments
    Transformation - 5E | Grand Bargain