The government of Italy has donated some $13,000 worth of equipment to the Organization of American States (OAS) Fund for Peace, to assist with the verification and observation duties surrounding the territorial dispute between Honduras and Nicaragua.

The equipment will facilitate the work being undertaken by an Observation and Verification Mission of OAS and Pan American Institute of Geography and History personnel as well as military affairs experts from Brazil and Argentina and civilians from Honduras and Nicaragua.

Established by the OAS, the Fund for Peace is a mechanism to provide member states with funds to help defray the costs involved in a process of peaceful settlement of territorial conflict, as agreed to beforehand by the parties.

Among the OAS member states to contribute to the Fund for Peace are Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and the United States. Permanent Observers to the Organization, notably Denmark, Israel, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, have contributed as well.

Since gaining Permanent Observer status with the OAS on May 17, 1972, the government of Italy has made numerous contributions towards various OAS programs.

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