GENEVA, DECEMBER 13 – The Italian Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Ambassador Leonardo Bencini, has been nominated for the ‘Person(s) of the Year’ award by one of the most influential and prestigious non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the disarmament and non-proliferation sector, the Arms Control Association.
Bencini has been recognized for presiding over the Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention in December 2022, which concluded with the adoption of a consensus Final Document. The positive outcome was far from guaranteed, given the serious deterioration of the global security and arms control architecture caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine. This success reaffirmed Italy’s prominent role and ability to engage in dialogue in major multilateral disarmament forums.
Among other distinguished contenders for the recognition are Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the director of the film “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan, and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida. Voting will take place between December 8 and January 11, 2024. (@OnuItalia)
