The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today hosted the annual meeting of the National Mine Action Committee (NMAC), attended by Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Della Vedova and representatives of major NGOs who carry out humanitarian mine clearing internationally. Italy is firmly committed to the universalisation of the Ottawa and Oslo Conventions and is spearheading numerous projects to alleviate the suffering of people exposed to the risk of land mines and cluster munitions.
Thanks to the Humanitarian Mine Action Fund, which this year will again receive a 3.5 million euros grant, Italy is working in many countries. These include Afghanistan, Columbia, Bosnia, Somalia, Sudan, Gaza Strip and Syria, where it is carrying out mine clearance projects, awareness campaigns on mine risk and victim assistance from a development perspective.
Senator Della Vedova praised the unselfish dedication of professionals and volunteers from civil society, which enables Italy enjoy undisputed prestige among international donors working on humanitarian projects.