International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL)

The International Institute of Humanitarian Law has sponsored the creation of its own Foundation with the aim of promoting, supporting and enhancing its initiatives. Such initiatives include the preserving and restoring of Villa Ormond which serves as its Headquarters.

In recent years, the Institute has had to face a reduction in contributions due to the financial crises generally affecting public institutions. As a consequence, it has decided, within a wider fund-raising policy, that the Foundation would be the most appropriate and efficient means to expand its search for funds, also by approaching private institutions. Moreover, this initiative would better exploit the use of Villa Ormond for events not necessarily organized by the Institute, as encouraged by the owner of the Villa, the Municipality of Sanremo.

The free use of Villa Ormond, a building of recognized artistic and cultural value, was kindly granted to the Institute by its owner, the Municipality of Sanremo. Its maintenance is particularly demanding as it entails a number of interventions, both ordinary and extraordinary, incurring high costs to the Institute.

The Foundation, therefore, intends to promote the activities of the Institute in Italy and abroad in order to obtain the necessary funds to develop such improvements and, at the same time, to make Villa Ormond a point of cultural and touristic attraction, particularly by organising congresses, meetings, exhibitions, cultural events, informal gatherings, etc. Such activities of the Foundation would place the Institute in a stronger position to promote and disseminate its core activities concerning IHL, refugee law and related humanitarian fields.