From April 24 to 28, 2025, Marco Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), carried out an official visit to Jordan to strengthen collaboration with international partners and monitor the progress of Italian-funded projects in the country.
Dialogue with International Partners
The mission began in Amman with a series of strategic meetings at the European Union Delegation, UNHCR, and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). With the EU Head of Cooperation, Director Rusconi discussed opportunities to expand delegated cooperation between AICS and the European Union, building on the successful experience of the cultural heritage project in Jordan. Future partnerships were explored in the areas of water, digitalization, and cultural heritage, aligned with the strategic priorities set by EU leadership for the MENA region.
The meeting with UNHCR reaffirmed Italy’s strong commitment to humanitarian support in the MENA region and in Jordan, particularly through a recent €1 million contribution to the Cash Assistance Programme for Basic Needs, which supports around 470 vulnerable Syrian refugee families. Since 2018, Italy has contributed a total of €6.25 million to UNHCR’s cash assistance efforts in Jordan. Discussions also addressed the response to the Syrian crisis, focusing on voluntary returns and the need to strengthen the humanitarian-development nexus.
With AFD, Director Rusconi explored concrete opportunities for future collaboration, emphasizing the complementarity between the French and Italian approaches. There was particular interest in joint initiatives in the water sector—where both agencies are part of the Team Europe Initiative for the Aqaba-Amman desalination project—as well as in public sector reform and cultural heritage, including within the framework of EU delegated cooperation.
Cultural Heritage: An Investment in Local Communities
A key moment of the mission was dedicated to the upcoming project titled “Support to the socio-economic recovery and promotion of sustainable local development through the enhancement of cultural heritage sites”, implemented through EU delegated cooperation. The 36-month initiative, with a budget of €5.885 million (including €535,000 co-financed by AICS), is supported technically by the University of Perugia and focuses on the archaeological sites of Mukawer (Machaerus) and Abila. The project aims not only to preserve and enhance these significant historical sites but also to create income-generating opportunities for local communities—especially women and youth—through sustainable tourism and local workforce training.
From the Field: Projects in Southern Governorates
In the following days, the delegation traveled to southern Jordan to visit AICS-supported projects. In Qweirah, in the Aqaba district, they visited emergency and LRRD (Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development) projects implemented by AVSI. The emergency project “STEP TOGETHER” in the protection and community support sector included visits to art therapy activities in Gweirah Park and sports activities for disadvantaged youth at the local youth center. The LRRD initiative “Boro’om – Formal Employment Opportunities and Entrepreneurship Development in Mafraq and Aqaba Governorates” focuses on supporting vulnerable communities through socio-economic inclusion pathways.
In Petra, Director Rusconi visited the Royal Tombs site, the focus of the “Conservation of the Palace Tomb in Petra” initiative, carried out in partnership with UNOPS. A newly approved project marks the second phase of this successful intervention, dedicated to preserving Nabataean architectural heritage through water management system studies and conservation restoration.
The visit continued to Shobak Castle, where a program supporting post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery in the protected area was presented. This initiative is implemented in collaboration with UNOPS for the socio-economic component and the University of Florence (UNIFI) for the archaeological component.
In Ma’an, the Director met with teams from Oxfam and INTERSOS to visit their respective projects. Oxfam is implementing “Market4All: Resilience Pathways Toward an Inclusive Labor Market in Ma’an”, an LRRD project in the livelihood sector promoting employment inclusion. INTERSOS is managing an emergency protection project titled “Strengthening the Capacity of Existing Community Networks to Identify, Prevent, and Respond to Protection Risks”, which focuses on reinforcing community networks to safeguard vulnerable populations.
A Renewed Commitment
The mission concluded with meetings at the AICS office in Amman, where Director Rusconi engaged with agency staff and discussed activities in Iraq, which also fall under the jurisdiction of AICS Amman.
Director Rusconi’s visit reaffirmed Italy’s strong commitment to Jordan—a country facing complex challenges related to refugee hosting and pressure on natural resources. The Italian approach, which integrates humanitarian response, sustainable development, and cultural heritage enhancement, aligns closely with the priorities of the Hashemite Kingdom and is carried out in close coordination with international partners, aiming for a complementary and coordinated effort that benefits local communities and the most vulnerable populations.