U.S. continues to be the key supporter of the ITF
ITF receives over US$ 10 million from the United States of America. Funds under the new grant are earmarked for humanitarian demining, clearance of explosive remnants of war including cluster munitions, and destruction of surplus munitions in South East E
ITF Enhancing Human Security has received grants totaling more than US$10 million through the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. The ITF will use the funds for humanitarian demining and conventional weapons destruction projects in South East Europe and South Lebanon.
The U.S. continues to be a major supporter of ITF activities, maintaining excellent cooperation with ITF from 1998 – since the inception of ITF. During the last 14 years, the U.S. has donated nearly 168 million USD to ITF. In addition to supporting humanitarian mine action projects, since 2010 the U.S. has also begun to work with the ITF to help several countries in South East Europe demilitarize their surplus small arms/light weapons and munitions. These surplus arms and aging munitions represent a growing humanitarian and security threat due to their improper storage, and in the case of the munitions deteriorating stability as well. The U.S. funds earmarked specifically for demining in South East Europe and clearance of unexploded cluster munitions in South Lebanon will be used as a match for donations contributed by other donors for these same life-saving activities. The U.S. is the key ITF partner due to the matching funds mechanism, which represents a unique way of fundraising worldwide.
The U.S. continues to be a major supporter of ITF activities, maintaining excellent cooperation with ITF from 1998 – since the inception of ITF. During the last 14 years, the U.S. has donated nearly 168 million USD to ITF. In addition to supporting humanitarian mine action projects, since 2010 the U.S. has also begun to work with the ITF to help several countries in South East Europe demilitarize their surplus small arms/light weapons and munitions. These surplus arms and aging munitions represent a growing humanitarian and security threat due to their improper storage, and in the case of the munitions deteriorating stability as well. The U.S. funds earmarked specifically for demining in South East Europe and clearance of unexploded cluster munitions in South Lebanon will be used as a match for donations contributed by other donors for these same life-saving activities. The U.S. is the key ITF partner due to the matching funds mechanism, which represents a unique way of fundraising worldwide.
The grant funds will be used as follows:
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$4,3 million for demining and destruction of surplus ammunition in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
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$2,034 million for the completion of clearance operations at the Gërdec depot disaster site in Albania;
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$1,2 million for destruction of surplus ammunition in Montenegro;
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$1,1 million for demining and destruction of surplus ammunition in Croatia;
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$1 million for destruction of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions in Serbia;
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$600.000 to conclude clearance operations at the Chelopechene depot disaster site in Bulgaria;
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$260.000 for cluster munitions removal in Lebanon;
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$ 100.000 for capacity-building support for Kosovo*’s Mine Action Center;
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And $40.000 for the "Regional Approach to Stockpile Reduction" (RASR) regional initiative for the ?destruction of surplus ammunition.
ITF is a non-profit organization established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in March 1998 with the initial aim of providing humanitarian aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Slovenia began its active engagement in the aftermath of the conflict in South East Europe by establishing ITF, which has proven to be a factor of stability and security in this area. Through the years, ITF has demonstrated to be one of the paramount foreign policy projects of the Slovenian government, becoming a reference institution in the field of mine action. So far more than 120,3 million square meters of mine-contaminated area in South East Europe and the Caucasus have been cleared through ITF. In addition, the ITF has contributed to the rehabilitation of more than 1.190 mine survivors, and enabled more than 82.000 children and adults to receive mine risk education throughout South East Europe. Furthermore, more than 880 professionals in the field of humanitarian demining, management and rehabilitation were trained through the ITF.
To date, ITF has collected a total of over 363,7 million U.S. dollars for mine action related activities and conventional weapons destruction from the United States and other generous donor nations, organizations, and individuals.