Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares takes over the presidency of FIIAPP

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has assumed the Presidency of the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Public Administration and Policies (FIIAPP). The decision was taken following the meeting of the FIIAPP Board of Trustees at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In this way, the governance of the Foundation has been updated with the aim of giving more weight to its contribution to our country’s external action. In addition, its role as a facilitator of international cooperation of Spanish public administrations and its contribution to the 2030 Agenda is recognised. As a result of these changes, from now on it will be the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation who will hold this position and not the First Vice-Presidency of the Government, as was the case until now.

During his speech at the meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, highlighted the importance of FIIAPP’s work for Spanish foreign action, accompanying public policy reform processes and promoting the functioning of the rule of law, social and territorial cohesion, women’s empowerment and effective access to rights.

The new phase opened by FIIAPP underlines Spain’s commitment to direct collaboration between institutions in different countries and to rules-based multilateralism. The ultimate goal of all its actions will be the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Public technical cooperation, or direct cooperation between institutions, will be part of the 6th Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation to be published later this year.

The Board of Trustees, which includes representatives of the main ministries and public administrations involved in international cooperation, congratulated the Foundation on its renewed accreditation by the European Commission as an implementing actor of delegated cooperation.

In the coming months, FIIAPP’s priorities will focus on strengthening its work with the Civil Service, as well as its leadership and participation in new institutional cooperation projects within the framework of Global Gateway, the European Union’s global connectivity strategy.

The FIIAPP currently implements 118 institutional cooperation projects in 114 countries, with an average implementation of 70 million euros per year. It has a staff of 300 people, mobilising more than 620 professionals from 180 public sector institutions.