The CISP – Sviluppo dei Popoli (formerly the International Committee for the Development of Peoples) is a civil society organization that has been active since 1983 in international cooperation and in the fight against social exclusion.
Founded as an association in 1983, in June 2025 CISP adopted the legal form of a Foundation of Participation, strengthening its vocation to promote broad and inclusive partnerships for sustainable development. Its new name is CISP – Sviluppo dei Popoli Ets, or simply CISP Ets.
CISP is a legal entity registered in the Italian National Third Sector Register (RUNTS) since March 18, 2026 (Lazio Region Determination No. G03598, Rep. No. 160551).
Over more than 40 years of activity, we have been present in every region of the world. Today, CISP operates in more than 30 countries, implementing initiatives aimed at promoting fundamental rights and social inclusion, combating inequalities and social injustice, creating economic and social opportunities, and protecting marginalized and excluded people.

Throughout our history, we have achieved important milestones. The most significant is having stood alongside millions of people in their path toward self-determination and the realization of their aspirations: women, children, elderly people, men, and entire communities who refuse to accept marginalization, violence, food insecurity, or the lack of rights.

Together with these individuals, their communities, local associations, and public institutions, we have built schools and trained teachers, innovated education systems, strengthened food security through income diversification and access to microcredit, and supported small-scale farmers in improving their productive capacities. We have also contributed to the design and implementation of more inclusive public policies, ensuring they address the needs and rights of the most vulnerable groups; promoted legislation to protect the most disadvantaged; and provided essential services and access to safe drinking water in areas where these were previously unavailable.

Our Statement of Intent, “Rights, Change, Sustainability,” was updated in 2018, fully incorporating the strategic guidelines of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. Two key principles of the 2030 Agenda guide our action: the need to consider sustainability in all its dimensions, environmental, social, economic, and institutional,and the recognition that combating poverty and social exclusion are deeply interconnected objectives.

We work all over the world to create secure conditions for human and inclusive development, for the self-determination of peoples, the affirmation and respect of the rights of individuals and communities and to meet people's basic needs as well as to combat social exclusion.

For us, the real challenge is to make international agendas comprehensive and concrete. Words do not change people’s lives, but resources such as water, finance, healthcare and all levels of education as well as the ability to be organised, heard and to inspire public policy do. These are the areas in which we have always wanted to base our credibility on.

Our ultimate goal continues to be to eradicate poverty in all its forms, to end discrimination and exclusion, and to reduce inequalities and vulnerabilities that leave people behind and undermine the potential of individuals and humanity as a whole.

Encouraged by our many years of work with local communities, the analysis of hundreds of project evaluation reports and the systematic comparison with our partners in countries where we operate, we continue to be certain that it is possible to build just, supportive and sustainable communities.

Accountability: We believe that it is imperative to give a transparent account of who we are, our operational and management procedures, and to document our actions and their results.

Professionalism: To us, a professional approach is a fundamental prerequisite for effective humanitarian and development action. We invest in the training of all our staff because we see it as an ethical commitment to countries and communities. 

Partnership: The challenges of poverty and injustice cannot be tackled alone, but only through joint efforts, which is why we are committed to creating and strengthening relationships everywhere

Ownership: Local bodies representing the community as well as institutional, associative, academic, and entrepreneurial sectors are central to the development processes of each country. All our interventions are in line with the demands and needs expressed by local bodies within their aspirations and strategies.

Innovation: To us, this is a binding choice that we make when formulating projects, analysing existing good practices and identifying possible technical and social innovations according to their effectiveness and sustainability.

The Declaration of Intent "Rights, Change, Sustainability" adopted in January 2018 fully incorporates the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

It establishes shared strategic horizons and aims to make international agendas tangible and concrete in those places where poverty, lack of rights and lack of protection from conflict are most severe.

• CISP Declaration of Intent

Together with the Administrative Manual and the Verification System, the Code of Behaviour is an integral part of the Management System that governs the organisational and operational activities of CISP.

All CISP activities are carried out in a framework of transparency, honesty, fairness, and good faith, in line with our commitment to accountability and full conformity with rules for the protection and safeguarding of human life in all its expressions.

The Code of Behaviour contains the set of principles, duties, and responsibilities that all collaborators, partners, or consultants are required to observe.

• Code of behaviour

We join - and in some cases have founded - Italian and international networks. Promoting partnerships with other NGOs and international bodies allows us greater effectiveness in our actions and places our strategies in broader contexts. For us, development is the result of joint efforts, and therefore we collaborate with other organisations and participate in various associations and networks to contribute with our experience, learn from others and develop analyses and reflections on the complexity of the contexts in which we intervene.

The relations between CISP and other bodies active in the fields of development cooperation and fighting social exclusion are regulated by agreements, partnership agreements and "memorandums of understanding" which frame the ideal motivations as well as the practical and applicative aspects of these relations. In addition to specific operational agreements with public and private bodies - both European and non-European - aimed at the joint implementation of specific projects, the CISP has signed general agreements with specific bodies in which it intends to create shared strategies for development, the combating of social exclusion, the management of humanitarian crises and the affirmation of the value of international solidarity.

• CISP is already recognised as an eligible NGO under Law n. 49 of 26 February 1987 and then as a non-profit organisation of social utility (ONLUS) under art. 10, paragraph 8, of Legislative Decree n. 460 of 4 December 1997, and is also registered in the Register of ONLUS of the Lazio Region (NGO activity sector).
• CISP is part of the List of Civil Society Organisations and other non-profit entities of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Decree n. 2016/337/00161/4).
• It is a recognised association (N° 752/2010 of the Register of Legal Entities at the Prefecture of Rome), and is also registered in the Register of Bodies and Associations carrying out activities in favour of immigrants at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (A/138/2001/RM).
• CISP is registered in the Register of Associations and Bodies carrying out activities in the field of anti-discrimination at the Italian Council Presidency.
• Since 1993 CISP has been a Partner of ECHO (European Commission Humanitarian Office). In 2021, the qualification of the Humanitarian Partnership was renewed until 2027 (EU HUMANITARIAN PARTNERSHIP CERTIFICATE 2021 - CISP-EN).
• CISP is registered and recognised by USAID (United State Agency for International Development).
• CISP is registered in the World Bank's register of service providers.
• CISP is registered as a service provider with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• CISP partners with all major United Nations Agencies, including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR.

• CISP and UNIPV, general agreement

• CISP and La Sapienza University of Rome

• CISP and University of Bari, 2020

• CISP and CDN

2018 – MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING between ENTE NAZIONALE DEL MICROCREDITO (ENM) AND CISP

For the promotion of microcredit programmes and the development and promulgation of micro-finance culture.

2017 - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING between INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE, INC (IRC) AND CISP

IRC and CISP share common values and principles and are both working to tackle the causes of hunger and poverty as well as trying to establish a concrete and visible link between rescue, rehabilitation, and development.

2016 - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING between SOLIDARITY NOW (SN) AND CISP

The MoU between CISP and the Greek NGO Solidarity Now has as its main purpose the coordinated planning and implementation of interventions to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.

2016 - COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION OF CRAFTSMEN OF THE PROVINCE OF VICENZA AND CISP 

Signed to jointly develop activities for the promotion and implementation of international cooperation projects in areas of common interest.

2008 - GENERAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT CISP COOPI VIS

By mutual consent of both parties, this agreement represents the natural conclusion of a process of sharing and collaboration that has lasted for several years. Thanks to this, it has been possible to construct a shared vision of the role and function of higher education in international development cooperation and consolidate a common understanding.

2008 - CISP/OIM 

To further strengthen collaboration in the identification, formulation and fundraising of projects aimed at improving the living conditions of migrants in various countries.