Rome, 27 January 2026 - UNDP participated in the Steering Committee meeting of the Rome Process at Farnesina, convened as a high level stocktake of progress and next steps under a process launched in July 2023 to address the root causes of irregular migration through partnerships between countries of origin, transit and destination. 

The Rome Process was established at the International Conference on Development and Migration held in Rome on 23 July 2023, and has since provided a platform for governments and international organisations to align around practical initiatives across three working tracks, Migration and Security, Economy and Development, and Climate and Energy, supported by dedicated financial instruments and partner engagement. At the launch in 2023, UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu participated in the conference and met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reflecting early political momentum behind a partnership approach that links development, stability, and opportunity with shared responsibility. 

The Steering Committee session was designed to move the conversation from general principles to implementation, with a focus on stocktaking across the working groups, identifying bankable projects, and discussing the financial instruments available to support delivery. The agenda included opening remarks by Italian counterparts, updates from the chairs of the three working groups, a dedicated segment on financing, and an open discussion with Heads of Delegation and participating international organisations. 

UNDP welcomed the strong level of participation and the constructive tone in the room, including positive references to UNDP’s added value and delivery capacity, and the emphasis placed on partnership with Italian institutions and financing actors. For UNDP Rome Centre, the Climate and Energy working group update was particularly relevant, both because energy transition and climate resilience are central to long term development outcomes, and because the working group is explicitly designed to approve projects for implementation through dedicated instruments, including the Rome Process and Mattei Plan Financing Facility. The working group’s approach is anchored in an Action Plan adopted in 2024 as a living pipeline of proposals, and in 2025 a technical team, comprising experts from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, Italian Development Cooperation, the EAU and UNDP, carried out a first round of evaluation based on criteria agreed by the membership, selecting five of the most mature proposals for a total of up to USD 112.5 million in loans and grants. To expand the resource base for future rounds, a task force to identify new donors has also been established, led by UNDP. 

The Climate and Energy projects presented by UNDP for endorsement underline how the Rome Process can connect policy priorities to implementable pipelines. They include the Desert to Power Initiative pilot in Mauritania, proposed by the African Development Bank, UNDP and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security under the Energy for Growth initiative, which supports rural electrification programmes through decentralised green mini grids and solar home systems to expand electricity access in rural communities. They also include the Adaptation Accelerator Hub pilot in Ethiopia, proposed by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and UNDP, which aims to promote implementation of Ethiopia’s adaptation priorities under its NDC and NAP, with a focus on agriculture, freshwater, and early warning systems. Additional projects presented include Inclusive Green Growth in Egypt, Beyond Borders across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, and an Integrated Resilience Programme in the Sahel. 

The Steering Committee meeting confirmed a shared interest in keeping the Rome Process focused on delivery, bankability and project preparation, and partnerships that can mobilise financing and support implementation with local teams on the ground. UNDP will continue to contribute to this agenda through its convening role and its support to governments and UNDP country offices, working with Italian counterparts, international organisations, and financing partners to move selected initiatives forward from pipeline to implementation.