Day of Action Against Landmines

The Italian Ministry of Education celebrated the Day of Action Against Landmines today with a conference entitled “E’ tempo di disinnescare il pianeta” – “It’s time to defuse the planet” – patronaged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.The Conference, organised by the Italian National Association of Civilian Victims of War (ANVCG), was attended by the Minister of Education, Stefania Giannini, a number of victims of explosive remnants of war, and associations involved in the demining sector. Italy, as it was remarked, has completed the destruction of its stockpiles of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions well ahead of schedule.Italy has traditionally been involved in the sector of humanitarian demining and its efforts have intensified in recent years, partly due to a change in strategies which resulted in an increase in available funds. The founding of the Development Cooperation Agency and Italy’s Presidency of the United Nations Mine Action Support Group (UNMASG) for the 2016-2017 period will further enhance Italy’s notable role in humanitarian demining. It is a role that the Representative of the United Nations Mine Action Service fully acknowledged during the conference.