San Marino, 1996

On behalf of the

Republic of San Marino and my delegation, I wish, first

of all, to congratulate you, Sir, on your unanimous

election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-

first session. This is a recognition of your competence

and gifts as a diplomat and thus a guarantee of success

for our activities.

At the same time, let me also thank your predecessor

for the excellent way in which he guided the work of the

fiftieth session, just concluded.

We are all aware that the United Nations rests upon

a community of States. Similarly, we are all aware that

the very existence and future of any State depends on the

individuals who not only comprise it but also determine

its life and shape its history.

The United Nations, therefore, must understand and

meet the needs of all human beings if it is to represent

the entire family of Member States, protect their interests

and fulfil the legitimate expectations of the largest

possible number of individuals.

Presently, humanity is confronted with the challenges

of development versus underdevelopment, progress versus

recession, wealth versus extreme and ever-increasing

poverty. These phenomena affect less-favoured and

socially advanced countries alike, leading to social

discrepancies and situations in which some manage to

plan their own development, while others, deprived of job

opportunities, fail.

Development issues are inextricably intertwined with

the destiny of nations. They change the face of countries

and peoples and exacerbate the pressures on the less-

favoured and most populous regions of the world. This is

a real and constant threat to peace.

In some cases, the situation is aggravated by the

fragility or, even worse, lack of democratic institutions.

Here, power is wielded as an end in itself and not as an

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instrument for achieving the common ideal. Societies and

States tend to withdraw into themselves, their only concern

being to retain their strength and power. Sometimes those

who hold the power do not bother to meet the needs of a

rapidly changing society, except when forced to preserve

the necessary consensus.

Our Organization should spare no effort to help

countries and peoples alike to redress the balance and

remedy these errors.

The items on the agenda for discussion at the fifty-

first session of the General Assembly are of paramount

importance and deserve the utmost attention and impartial

and thorough analysis, since they pertain, on the one hand,

to the peaceful coexistence of peoples and, on the other, to

the existence and the structure of the Organization itself.

Ultimately, peace and coexistence depend on and are best

governed by this institution.

All efforts must be pooled to improve, update and

render the United Nations more effective. This objective

can be achieved through a reform of the system inspired by

equality, justice and wider democracy and aimed at

ensuring broader participation and the fair sharing of duties

and powers among all Member States.

San Marino pledges itself to fulfilling the tasks derived

from its United Nations membership, while benefitting from

the opportunity to participate actively and make its

contribution to the various bodies of the United Nations.

Undoubtedly, the strengthening and enhancing of the

United Nations require a review of the composition, role,

functioning and powers of the Security Council. This

review process, however, is proceeding very slowly and at

times reveals inadequate understanding, cooperation and

acceptance of the views of others.

We are convinced that the Security Council must

adjust to the changes brought about by historical events

and, consequently, to the expanded membership of the

United Nations itself, whose character and essence are

clearly becoming increasingly universal. San Marino

believes that the Security Council must increase its

membership, since, as it stands today, it no longer reflects

the world’s reality, nor does it promote a rotating system in

which all States, irrespective of their size, are equally

represented and can participate and make their own

contributions.

As regards the decision-making process of the

Security Council, we believe that the maintenance,

exercise and potential extension of the right of veto must

be carefully reconsidered. Fortunately, we are living in an

era characterized by dialogue, debate, discussion,

proposals and the search for joint solutions. These are the

instruments which we should resort to, rather than the

right of veto. Over 50 years of activity and progress allow

and entitle us to reconsider other instruments that, having

proved useful in dealing with initial difficulties and tragic

situations, are no longer necessary for further growth and

consolidation.

Lastly, special attention should be paid to the

development and interpretation of the Security Council’s

rules of procedure, with a view to adopting a more open

attitude and a larger involvement of States in discussing

the issues at stake. In this context, let me call on all

Member States to intensify their efforts to find a

universally acceptable solution.

Is this all mere utopia? If it is, then we must not

forget that those who have committed themselves to

serving their countries and the international community

have a duty to translate this utopia rationally into a

political design, without neglecting or ignoring other

people’s expectations. Only in this way will that utopia

become a real political design based on the principles of

responsibility, equality and justice.

I wish to express the deepest satisfaction of the

Government of the Republic of San Marino at the

adoption of the resolution on the Comprehensive Nuclear-

Test-Ban Treaty, which my country cosponsored. Today,

I have the honour of signing this Treaty on behalf of my

country. We hope that all States will become loyal Parties

to the Treaty and cooperate in the elimination of nuclear

energy for non-peaceful uses, so that future generations

may inherit an environmentally sound planet.

Given its geographical location in Europe, San

Marino is particularly attentive to the evolution of the

peace process in the Mediterranean area, especially in the

Middle East, where the earlier general enthusiasm has

been overshadowed by disenchantment and frequent

difficulties. Fortunately, hope, however weak and volatile,

is still alive. The Middle East still needs the international

community’s commitment and encouragement to proceed

to a peaceful settlement of long-standing and more recent

disputes that are the cause of division and uncertainty.

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In the speech I delivered at the fiftieth session of the

General Assembly, I stressed, on behalf of the Government

of San Marino, the need to reconsider the instrument of the

embargo, its effectiveness and repercussions, especially in

those cases where, in the absence of armed conflict,

international isolation alone has proved a valid moral and

political means of international pressure. In this regard, it

is with satisfaction that I note that the elimination of

coercive economic measures as a means of political

compulsion has been placed on this session’s agenda. The

Government of the Republic of San Marino is confident

that the debate will lead to a proper examination and

resolution of the problem, so that innocent people who are

already suffering are no longer the main targets of these

measures.

The Republic of San Marino firmly believes that the

United Nations, like the Council of Europe and the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, must

remain the most appropriate forum for producing concrete

results and enhancing the mechanism of fruitful dialogue

and the exchange of ideas. The most daunting challenge is

still that of preserving future generations from the scourge

of war by reaffirming human dignity and promoting free

and equitable social progress.