The Community of Practice (CoP) for International Development Cooperation of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region held its plenary assembly on Wednesday, 17 June, confirming its role as a long-term strategic initiative included in the regional programming for the 2024–2028 period.

The key objective that emerged from the meeting, opened by Giulio Tarlao from the Office of the Presidency of FVG, is the evolution of the CoP: transforming from a structure supported by the regional administration into an autonomous, inclusive and collaborative platform, capable of going beyond the logic of mere regional funding to generate distributed leadership and connect territories in a widespread and effective way.

Managed operationally by the implementing partners Informest and InCE-CEI (activated under Regional Law 19/2000), the project presented a review of the past twelve months of activities through reports by Walter Goruppi (Informest) and Carlo Fortuna (InCE-CEI). Despite challenges related to local stakeholder engagement, all actions undertaken were the result of direct input from regional CooS operators. In particular, the most recent phase saw the implementation of important training workshops focused on project design through the Theory of Change, participatory project processes, and financial management and reporting of European projects, successfully balancing the needs of experienced organizations and smaller entities.

At the same time, webinars and operational seminars were launched on key themes identified by the community at the beginning of 2025, including Water and Environment, Inclusive Economic Development, and Mental Health. The latter culminated in the proposal to establish a permanent working group following the participation of regional health authorities and associations. On the communication front, social media channels (LinkedIn and Facebook), new community email addresses, and a web portal have been activated, now awaiting content contributions from members.

Looking ahead, the resumption of activities in September will focus on concrete co-design opportunities offered by new European Union and AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) calls. Walter Goruppi outlined the objectives of the third phase, explaining that the FVG CoP must act as a territorial sensor and network facilitator through mapping, listening, skills matching, and the activation of stable technical working groups—areas in which the contribution of interested operators will be crucial. Further efforts will be made to strengthen two-way communication, including the possible introduction of a WhatsApp channel, and to further develop the web platform.

The core of the strategic debate was led by Graziano Lorenzon, Director of Informest, who encouraged deep reflection on the paradigm shift in cooperation, defined as a true “policy for the future” that must emerge from the ground up. Lorenzon introduced the concept of MAIDAS (Marginal Areas in Developed Areas), referring to inequalities within developed territories, and urged the CoP to move beyond a linear vision and exclusive focus on local funding in order to capture the “weak signals” of rapid global transformations. The long-term vision envisages the transition toward an intelligent infrastructure for the co-design of global public goods (such as climate, health and biodiversity), structured around four key missions: foresight and territorial intelligence, a transformative governance laboratory, a platform for territorial diplomacy, and an academy for transition leadership.

The subsequent discussion with participants collected inputs from local stakeholders. Luisa Sello (Ass. Amici della Musica Udine) requested clarification on exclusion criteria in calls for proposals and on the geographical selection of priority countries. In response, Tarlao clarified that the regional decision to limit the number of countries to 15 is based on an OECD assessment aimed at reducing the fragmentation of funds. Marco Iob (CVI) expressed strong appreciation for Lorenzon’s guidelines, while also highlighting a perceived inconsistency in regional policy (regarding participation in AICS calls in Kenya or Tanzania, which are not priority countries for FVG calls), and expressed the hope that the CoP will actively participate in the co-programming of the next regional three-year program, ensuring full recognition of third-sector actors.

In the closing remarks, regional official Tarlao clarified that the project in Kenya represents an excellence in the fisheries sector, launched at the specific request of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) within the framework of decentralized cooperation, and is therefore not a contradiction. Finally, Carlo Fortuna reiterated the importance of the educational and cultural dimension, emphasizing that webinars are only a starting point: the true success of the FVG CoP— the first initiative of its kind in Italy and among the most advanced nationally—will depend on the active participation of all members within working groups, which are essential for consolidating skills and building lasting relationships.