LocationsUNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo High-Level Mission to Rome, Italy
March 2, 2026
Rome, 12 February 2026 – UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo concluded a three-day mission to Rome, held from 10 to 12 February 2026, combining high-level political dialogue, strategic engagement on development finance and debt sustainability, and participation in the bi-annual Principals’ Meeting of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). The visit reaffirmed Italy’s role as a key multilateral partner and strengthened cooperation across development, humanitarian and climate agendas.
On 10 February, at UNDP Rome Centre, the Administrator met with Paolo Gentiloni, Co-Chair of the UN Task Force on the Debt Crisis and Chair of the EIB Global Advisory Council. Discussions focused on the accelerating debt vulnerabilities affecting developing countries, particularly in climate-exposed and fragile contexts.
The Administrator subsequently met Dario Scannapieco, CEO and General Manager of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), to explore concrete opportunities for blended finance and risk-sharing instruments in support of sustainable infrastructure, energy transition and private-sector development in partner countries. The discussion examined pathways to mobilize Italian and European capital toward high-impact investments, including through guarantees, co-financing platforms and partnerships in Africa and the Mediterranean region. In a bilateral meeting with Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Administrator emphasized the interlinkages between food systems transformation, climate resilience and economic recovery. The exchange focused on strengthening collaboration in fragile and conflict-affected settings, where integrated programming across governance, food security and livelihoods is critical to break cycles of vulnerability.
Earlier in the day, the Administrator delivered opening remarks at a roundtable hosted by UNDP Rome Centre on promoting energy recovery from waste in Tunisia. He underscored the role of circular economy solutions and public–private partnerships in advancing sustainable energy systems and creating green jobs, highlighting the importance of scaling pilot projects through improved bankability and regulatory frameworks.
On 11 February, the Administrator participated in the bi-annual Principals’ Meeting of the IASC, hosted at the headquarters of the World Food Programme in Rome. The meeting brought together heads of major UN humanitarian agencies and NGO consortia to assess how accelerating geopolitical shifts are reshaping humanitarian space, access and financing. During a session dedicated to Yemen, the Administrator stressed the imperative of operationalizing the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. He highlighted UNDP’s work in restoring critical services, supporting local governance institutions and enabling economic recovery in protracted crisis settings, emphasizing that sustainable stabilization requires aligning short-term humanitarian interventions with longer-term development financing.
Discussions throughout the day addressed collective resource mobilization under the Global Humanitarian Overview, localization and the removal of political and operational bottlenecks to empower local actors, and the practical deployment of data and AI tools to enhance anticipatory action and improve accountability. The Administrator reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to governance reform, institutional capacity-building and resilience programming as core contributions to system-wide humanitarian effectiveness.
On 12 February, the Administrator held a bilateral meeting with Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See. The discussion centered on peacebuilding, ethical dimensions of development, and the importance of inclusive multilateral cooperation in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
In a subsequent meeting with Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Administrator discussed Italy’s development cooperation priorities, partnership opportunities in Africa and the Mediterranean, and joint efforts to advance climate adaptation, energy access and youth employment. Both sides underscored the strategic value of Italy’s engagement within the G7 and the European Union in shaping global development and financial reform debates.
At LUISS University, the Administrator engaged in a public dialogue on the future of multilateralism with the Rector Paolo Boccardelli and academic community. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed to strengthen collaboration on policy research, innovation, youth engagement and leadership development, fostering closer links between academia and multilateral institutions.
Additional engagement with Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, focused on innovation ecosystems, sustainable industrial policy and private-sector engagement in development partnerships. The discussion explored how Italian technological and manufacturing excellence can contribute to green transitions and inclusive growth in partner countries.
Throughout the visit, the Administrator also met with UNDP staff in Italy to outline strategic priorities for 2026, including accelerated SDG financing, integrated crisis response and digital transformation.
The mission to Rome, held from 10 to 12 February 2026, reaffirmed Italy’s central role as a strategic partner for UNDP across development finance, climate action, food systems and humanitarian response. At a time of heightened global uncertainty, the visit underscored the need for strengthened multilateral cooperation, innovative financing solutions and inclusive partnerships to deliver resilient and sustainable development outcomes worldwide.
