ROME, JULY 21 – Convinced of the importance of the humanitarian action against anti personnel mines, in 2021 the Italian Government doubled its National Fund for Humanitarian Mine Clearing, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marina Sereni, announced in her opening address at the XXIV Meeting of the National Committee for Humanitarian Action against Anti Personnel Mines.
Italy, explained Sereni, “adopted strict legislation forbidding anti personnel mines since October 1997, a few months ahead the Ottawa Convention that completely banned anti personnel mines from December of the same year. There is also the National Fund for Humanitarian Mine Clearing, set up in 2001, which makes it possible to launch effective actions against mines. Italy destroyed completely its own arsenals of anti personnel mines back in 2002, before the deadline laid down by the Ottawa Convention, then got rid of its arsenals of cluster ammunition in 2015, five years ahead of the deadline set by the Oslo Convention”.
The difficulties brought on by COVID-19,” continued the Deputy Minister, “did not lessen Italy’s commitment to cooperation in support of humanitarian initiatives against mines on all continents. In 2021 the Fund has almost Euro 8,6 million, more than double the amounts forecast to be earmarked in 2020. Thanks to this significant increase it will be possible to confirm and increase the contribution to mine clearing in the areas of the major crises in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Palestine, and adding others, like Sahel and especially Mali and Niger”, she added.
Civil society can make an essential contribution to humanitarian action when it comes to mine clearing, in areas that are an ever greater priority, such as care for the victims and education on the risk: “For this reason – Sereni concluded – this year we intend also financing the actions of some NGOs in Libya and Iraq”. (@OnuItalia)
