While the Ministerial Meetings continue under the current Italian Group of 7 (G7) Presidency in Italy, the Summit meetings concluded in May setting the organization’s 2017 mission as “Building the Foundations of Renewed Trust”. On September 18, 2017, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Italian Minister of the Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) signed an agreement to support the Italian G7 Presidency commitments and reform objectives with EUR €7 million.
Since Italy holds the Italian G7 Presidency, which rotates every year between member states, it must host all the G7 meetings. The member states include France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Canada.
Italy is also charged with preparing draft documents and proposing thematic priorities, especially those to be decided on by heads of state and government. Even more importantly, Italy must negotiate language and terms of decisions by leading dialogue, mediating and finding common ground between partners. On behalf of the entire group, it must maintain relations with civil society, international organizations and countries outside of the G7.
This year Italy chose to focus on goals addressing (1) citizen safety, (2) economic, environmental, and social sustainability and reduction of inequalities and (3) innovation, skills, and labor in the age of the next production revolution.
The Italian G7 Presidency commitments require forming a number of recommendations related to climate change, environmental degradation, agriculture and food security, water availability and economic growth in Africa. The Italian government has supported their proposal for a centre in Rome that will facilitate exchanges of information on increasing the effectiveness, synergies and complementarities of continuing projects in Africa.
The Italian Minister of the Environment, Land and Sea will also be getting together with the UNDP and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in Rome to facilitate the exchange of information on development interventions alongside the aforesaid Italian G7 Presidency interests and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The UNDP is looking to realign its own Strategic Plan for 2018 to 2021 around these initiatives, which it will present to G7 member states.
– Zar-Tashiya Khan
Photo: Flickr