Collaboration between Cooperazione Italiana, [Italian Cooperation], the Unita di Crisi [Crisis Unit] of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Dipartmento della Protezione Civile [Civil Protection Department] has been strengthened by two agreements signed today, Friday 21 July, by Secretary General Elisabetta Belloni at the Farnesina.
“The two agreements establish a basis for a further quality leap forward in the already well-founded relations between the Farnesina and Italy’s Protezione Civile, always committed to delivering Italy’s most effective response to natural disaster emergencies, and assistance to Italian nationals in emergency situations abroad. They will now liaise with the resources of the newly-founded Agenzia per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo [Development Cooperation Agency – AICS],” said Ambassador Belloni.
The first agreement, signed with the head of the Department of Protezione Civile, Fabrizio Curcio and the Director of AICS, Laura Frigenti, allows for help – in cases of severe natural disasters abroad – to be carried out by a joint crisis unit to start working on the ground, synchronising operations and coordinating communication between institutions. A panel with other institutions and organisations of Italian civil society committed to humanitarian aid has also been proposed.
Cooperation between the Farnesina’s Unita di Crisi and the department of the Protezione Civile is the theme of the second agreement, to facilitate prevention and risk assessment in other countries, along with a system to manage and disseminate data to foreign embassies in Italy in case of emergencies involving their nationals on Italian territory.
“The latest experiences, such as the intervention following the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, are evidence of the professionalism and technical and scientific capabilities of both bodies, representing an effective tool for the protection of Italian citizens abroad,” concluded Ambassaador Bellini.
