Lt. Gen. Stefano Del Col is Director at the Supreme Council of Defense, Italian Presidency of the Republic, a body set forth by the Constitution to analyze general and technical political issues relating to national security and defense. Chaired by the President of the Republic, the Council is composed of the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Economy and Finance, Defense, Economic Development, and the Chief of the Defense Staff. From 2018 to 2022, Lt. Gen. Del Col served as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Prior, during his career in the Italian Army, Lt. Gen. Del Col has held numerous high-level assignments, such as Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Ministry of Defense and Head of the Strategic and Operational Direction Branch, Defense General Staff. In the latter capacity, he has been in charge of overseeing at the strategic level the national joint contribution in military operations abroad within the UN, NATO, and EU frameworks, particularly in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Afghanistan (NATO ISAF) and Libya (NATO OUP). Moreover, Lt. Gen. Del Col served as Head of the National and NATO Force Planning Section at the Planning Branch of the Army General Staff. Internationally, he has been Commander of the NATO Task Force in Kosovo (KFOR), as well as of the Italian contingent in the Western Sector of UNIFIL and of the UNIFIL Italian Battle Group, Operation “Leonte”. He has also been assigned to Upavon, Salisbury (UK), as Liaison Officer with the British Army. A Commanding Officer of the Bersaglieri Corps, Lt. Gen. Del Col headed the 11th Bersaglieri Battalion, the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment in Caserta, and the Pinerolo Brigade in Bari. He attended the Royal College of Defense Studies (RCDS) in London and the Joint Staff College (ISSMI) in Rome, and obtained Bachelor’s degrees in Strategic Sciences at the University of Turin, International Strategic-Military Studies at the University of Milan, and International and Diplomatic Sciences at the University of Trieste (with honors). Decorated Knight of the Military Order of Italy, Lt. Gen. Del Col collaborates with the Italian Red Cross for the teaching of international humanitarian law, and with various universities and national and international research institutes.