Italy, 2012

I wish to warmly congratulate

you, Mr. President, on your election to the presidency

of the General Assembly at this session. Rest assured

that you have Italy’s full support as you assume your

crucial responsibilities in the service of international

peace and cooperation.

Every day and everywhere, people strive to

overcome fear, achieve justice and persevere through

hardship and uncertainty to protect their families

and livelihoods and to ensure a better future for their

children. Governments strive to achieve and preserve

peace, justice and prosperity in a world gripped by

political tensions, civil wars and a severe economic and

financial crisis. In 2011, financial markets showed serious new

signs of tension, due primarily to the deterioration of

public finances. What we have been experiencing is

not a recurrent cyclical imbalance. In the case of the

European Union (EU), it is the deepest and worst crisis

in its history.

Other crises threatened the European project in the

past, but each time Europeans found a way to continue

down the path on which they embarked upon more

than 50 years ago. In his memoirs, Jean Monnet noted

that Europe would be built through crises. Indeed, it

is by solving those crises that Europeans have realized

how closely integrated their interests are and how

interdependent their economies. Today, the world has

learned how essential a viable Europe is to tackling

global economic and security challenges, and how

important the euro area is to the recovery of the global

economy. Today it is clear that “more Europe” is in the

general interest, and not just that of Europeans.

We cannot overlook the importance of the measures

being taken at the EU level to strengthen governance and

fiscal integration, as was underlined by President Van

Rompuy. It is also essential that European Governments

deliver at the national level. Italy will continue to do

its part to further strengthen fiscal sustainability and

enhance potential growth.

Historic changes are taking place in the

Mediterranean region. Italy has stood by the Arab

peoples in their quest for justice and democracy. In the

past months, we have engaged with the new leaders

of those nations. I found in them a deep commitment

that inspires hope. Both bilaterally and through the

European Union, we are lending concrete support to

their new Governments to assist their recovery, set

mutually beneficial trade policies and foster inclusive

economic development, thereby promoting stability

throughout the region.

There is also an element of self-interest in that

pursuit. Instability around the Mediterranean impacts

our own security. Conflicts and social unrest on the

southern shore spill over to our own shores. Terrorism

finds new avenues to reach Europe. Trafficking in

human beings has destabilizing effects on the countries

of destination and often results tragedies at sea, which

we can no longer accept. The situation in the Sahel is of

grave concern and a top priority for Italy. It is a volatile

mix of fragile institutions and rampant organized

crime and terrorist groups. We cannot let the situation

deteriorate any further. Italy, for one, will make its contribution jointly with our partners and the States of

the region.

The ultimate goals of peace and cooperation will

be achieved only if all the countries concerned work

together on the basis of mutual respect and a shared

sense of purpose. A culture of dialogue must prevail

over confrontation. Extremism and intolerance must be

isolated and rejected. Rights, dignity and opportunities

must be offered to every component and member of our

societies, especially minorities and women.

Italy is fully committed to implementing such a

vision. For us, protecting and promoting human rights

is a long-standing domestic commitment as well as a

fundamental pillar of our foreign policy. In that vein,

we shall continue to pursue the universal abolition

of the death penalty, the protection of minorities, the

advancement of the status of women and the free and safe

expression of religion or belief. We need to cooperate

wisely in firmly rejecting the misrepresentation of

religions or beliefs as an instrument of disruption and

destabilization.

To achieve that goal, good laws are always

necessary, but they are not always enough. Tolerance

must be promoted through educational programmes

and consistent grass-roots work, engaging the efforts

of both Governments and civil society. I strongly

encourage the membership of the Assembly and all

relevant international organizations to resolutely

pursue such an approach.

The Arab Spring has experienced difficulties, yet it

has also scored a number of remarkable achievements.

Nothing is easy, yet nothing is impossible. But nothing

can be achieved without goodwill and good faith, which

we will need if we want to put an end to the ongoing

massacres and the massive human rights violations in

Syria. The regime in Damascus refuses to comply with

the resolutions of the Security Council, and it continues

to commit indiscriminate violence against civilians.

Italy fully supports the mission of the new Joint Special

Representative for Syria and strongly urges the Security

Council to overcome the stalemate that is preventing

effective international action. History will not be

lenient in judging those who bear responsibilities.

Nor can we underestimate the increasing danger of

nuclear proliferation. Italy supports the commitment of

the International Atomic Energy Agency to obtaining

clarification of the true nature of the Iranian nuclear

programme. We urge Iran to fully comply with all the relevant Security Council resolutions. Italy advocates

more effective arms control regimes, and looks forward

to concrete nuclear disarmament measures as proposed

in President Obama’s Prague appeal.

Respect for the rule of law is the basic condition for

promoting human rights and maintaining international

peace and security. In that context, Mr. President, I

welcome your proposal of “Bringing about adjustment

or settlement of international disputes or situations

by peaceful means” as the overarching theme for this

session of the General Assembly.

I am also pleased to announce that Italy is now

ready to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the

International Court of Justice in accordance with

Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Court’s Statute. This

is a defining moment for the International Court of

Justice and for international jurisdictions in general,

since they are the key institutions for interpreting

international law and guaranteeing global compliance

with its provisions. More and more, effective actions to

assure international order and security demand respect

for international law.

The same holds true for actions to counter new

threats, such as piracy, which is particularly troubling

given its impact on the world economy and on the lives

of seafarers. International efforts to protect sea lanes

and fight piracy can be effective only if all nations

cooperate in good faith, according to the established

rules of international customary law and United Nations

conventions, including those protecting the jurisdiction

of the f lag State in international waters.

The Organization can expect no less from each

Member State, and especially from those Members that

aim to have a decisive influence on the rules of global

governance. Any erosion of the sending State’s exclusive

jurisdiction over servicemen on official duty would

jeopardize the status of our agents on international

missions. Consequently, it would also undermine the

sustainability of United Nations peacekeeping missions.

By the same token, we must not tolerate any breach

of diplomatic missions, whose inviolability must be

respected. We firmly condemn any proposition that

violence is an acceptable response to speech.

Transnational organized crime also requires a

collective response grounded in the rule of law and

the principle of shared responsibility. With the United

Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Italy has actively

contributed to, and co-financed with Colombia, a digest to promote the implementation of the Palermo

Convention by illustrating best practices. The digest

is a practical tool for law enforcement officials and

prosecutors. It will be officially presented next month

in Vienna, on the occasion of the sixth Conference of

the Parties to the United Nations Convention against

Transnational Organized Crime.

The United Nations is called upon to play a key

role in conflict prevention, the settlement of disputes

and providing assistance for crisis management

and nation-building, in cooperation with regional

organizations. Despite the current financial juncture,

Italy continues to do its part in crisis management,

peacekeeping and stabilization missions. Our

expertise and resources — both military and

civilian — will remain engaged in a number of critical

theatres, especially Afghanistan and Lebanon. That

commitment constitutes a heavy burden, but one we

deem a worthy investment for the sake of the common

interest.

In that light, helping Somalia to recover its integrity

and dignity will remain high on my Government’s

agenda.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

have played a crucial role in changing development

cooperation policies and practices. But since they

were first agreed upon, the development landscape has

changed deeply. New challenges have emerged and

other issues and processes have come to the fore. The

post-2015 development agenda will therefore have to

take those trends into account. It will have to include

such important dimensions of development as reducing

inequality, fostering credible democracy, promoting

human rights, good governance, equitable growth,

migration, employment, decent jobs and tackling

climate change.

We are very pleased with your decision,

Mr. President, to constitute a high-level panel to

discuss this fundamental issue, and to appoint three

important leaders to conduct the international debate.

We are confident that the process of defining the pillars

of the future development agenda will be as inclusive as

possible, while avoiding the top-down assumptions that

emerged in 1995.

In our view, the post-2015 MDGs will have to be

harmonized with the inputs that emerged from the

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20). The three dimensions of sustainable development — the social, economic and

environmental — will be part of the scenarios we face

in the future. We will also have to work within the

framework of the new Busan Global Partnership for

Effective Development Cooperation.

In the area of climate change, sound and balanced

management of land and marine resources, involving

strengthened trans-boundary cooperation, deserves

closer political attention and common application. Some

challenges are particularly pressing. Tackling climate

change through coordinated emissions-reduction

policies is a prerequisite to substantially reducing, and

possibly stopping, the serious degradation of planet

Earth’s fragile ecosystems, on which our lives depend.

In line with our joint strategic objectives to overcome

the financial crisis, we attach great importance to

innovative sources of financing for development. Italy

has helped promote a number of significant initiatives,

in particular in the health field.

Migrant remittances play a key role in the

development of many countries. That process will be

facilitated by achieving the commitments of the Group

of Eight (G-8) and the Group of 20 to reduce the average

global cost of transferring remittances.

Food security is a priority for the Italian

Government’s development assistance policy. In 2009,

under Italy’s presidency, the G-8 adopted the L’Aquila

Food Security Initiative, a new and inclusive mechanism

that has been joined by more than 40 countries and has

funded several food security projects amounting to an

estimated $22 billion.

We are still paying careful attention to policies

aimed at mitigating the effect of agricultural price

volatility. The availability of high-quality, healthy and

sustainable food for all humankind is the historical

and concrete challenge being taken up by Expo 2015 in

Milan. The theme “Feeding the planet” is crucial to the

global agenda — from the Millennium Development

Goals to Rio+20 and its Zero Hunger initiative, as well

as the G-8 and G-20 processes — and is particularly

relevant to the work of the United Nations system. All

States Members of the United Nations have been invited,

and so far almost 100 countries and international

organizations have confirmed their participation.

In conclusion, I wish to respond to the appeal

you launched in your opening address. Yes, Italy

will make an active contribution to the efforts aimed

at revitalizing the General Assembly by enhancing its role and efficiency. Today more than ever, the

world needs the authority of the United Nations. The

reform of the Security Council is a key element of

this agenda. We are very much counting on members’

assistance in making it happen. An effective Security

Council is crucial not only to meeting the challenges

to peace, but also to creating a better international

order. An equitable reform of the Council is a matter

of continuing legitimacy, rather than of increasing the

national power of select Member States. The principles

of accountability, consensus and regional empowerment

must continue to inspire our commitment.