FRAMEWORK
Intervention by the Italian Cooperation in South Africa may be sub-divided in two periods: before and after the South African elections of April 1994.
Italian action that was taken during the Apartheid period goes right back to the early Eighties and is characterised by a series of interventions that were carried out in terms of the European Union’s positive measures regarding South Africa. Such cooperation deliberately occurred apart from any government agreements and was implemented through direct support to disadvantaged local communities.
With regards to the phase following the transition to democracy which peaked with the elections in 1994 and the rise to power of the ANC under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, a series of projects were identified and formulated in the agreed sectors having priority during the implementation phase of the 1996 Agreement (see below).
Since 1994, Italy has indeed set-up a formal dialogue with the South African authorities for the purposes of setting in motion a Cooperation Development plan based on the direct relations between the two governments.
In November 1996 a Cooperation Agreement was concluded between Italy and South Africa. This was followed, in 1998, by a Technical Agreement. In March 2002, the Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi made a State Visit to South Africa, the first such visit to sub-Saharan Africa by the current Presidency. During the course of that event, the Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Mantica signed one of the Technical Protocols in support of the Health sector. In June 2004, on the occasion of a visit to South Africa by the top representatives of the competent Directorate General from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Declaration of Intent was signed that lays down the general guidelines regarding Italian cooperation in South Africa thus giving Italian activities in this sector a renewed impulse. According to that Declaration of Intent, the sectors having priority in South Africa, in terms of Italian Cooperation over the next few years, will be as follows:
· The Eradication of Poverty,
· Education,
· Health,
· Equal Opportunities for men and women,
· The Environment
· Support for the Private sector, particularly for Small and Medium Enterprises.