San Marino, 2001

On behalf of the

Government of the Republic of San Marino, I wish to

congratulate Mr. Han Seung-soo on his election to the

presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth

session and to thank his predecessor for his valuable

contribution.

I would also like to congratulate the Secretary-

General, who was recently re-elected for a second

term. Over the past five years, my country has greatly

appreciated his efficiency, charisma and excellent

diplomatic ability.

14

In expressing its most sincere satisfaction, the

Republic of San Marino congratulates the United

Nations and its Secretary-General on having been

awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of this

Organization’s ongoing commitment to peace and

irreplaceable role and of its leader’s outstanding

diplomatic skills and dedication, which have always

characterized his fruitful activity.

Quite understandably, these days the General

Assembly is debating and wondering how and why the

world could change in just a few hours and how the

process of civilization of the international community

could be so ferociously attacked. We have gathered in

the most important international forum to define the

role to be played by each country, individually or

multilaterally, and to determine how this daunting and

insidious challenge can be faced by each and everyone

of us. Our discussions should also focus on how to

adjust our national legal systems to better support a

resolute fight against any form of international

terrorism, strengthen our defence systems and promote

a common culture of solidarity and firm condemnation

of any violation of and attack on human rights and civil

co-existence, the respect and safeguard of which are

crucial.

However, at a time of enormous difficulties, when

the wave of hatred and violence seems to be

inexorable, the international community is sending a

strong signal of hope by showing its determination not

to bend to people who, acting underground, try to

spread terror and turmoil by any possible means. Large

and small countries alike have joined forces to combat

terrorism and have expressed their full solidarity with

the United States’ outstanding example of democracy

and liberty. To the United States and the families of the

victims, I wish to express my deepest sympathies and

condolences.

Almost all countries have seen the attack on the

United States as an attack on each of them. That

explains why, in the face of such tragedies, many small

nations, too, such as the Republic I represent today,

cannot remain neutral by simply offering solidarity or

making statements of principles. Each and every one of

us is called upon to offer a determined and timely

contribution, however small, to the fight against

terrorism, which my country has always condemned in

all international forums as the main threat to peace.

In this spirit, San Marino immediately expressed

its willingness to collaborate with the United States of

America and to fully comply with Security Council

resolutions, in particular resolutions 1333 (2000) of 19

December 2000 and 1373 (2001) of 28 September

2001. This decision was motivated not only by the fact

that our Republic has been a Member of this

Organization for almost a decade, but above all by its

inherent vocation to promote peace and respect for

human rights, prompted by the conviction, matured

over 1,700 years of peace and liberty, that any effort in

this direction helps to create and maintain international

co-existence and mutual respect.

The Republic of San Marino will spare no effort

in the global fight against terrorism, as it has already

done to prevent and combat money-laundering. To that

end, it has adopted the necessary legislative

instruments and effective domestic measures and has

actively participated in the action carried out in this

field by major international organizations, such as the

International Monetary Fund, the Council of Europe

and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

Europe.

My country has successfully integrated many

international provisions aimed at countering terrorism

and intends to proceed to the ratification, as soon as

possible, of those instruments that are not yet part of its

legal system. Indeed, San Marino is well aware of the

importance and effectiveness of international law,

which has been expressly designed to promote

cooperation in this field. In this context, the proposal

submitted by India on a comprehensive anti-terrorism

convention should be taken into consideration as, today

more than ever, this is a very topical issue that deserves

our greatest attention.

At the beginning of this new century, mankind

cannot and must not move backwards. That would be

extremely dangerous, as it would challenge the state of

civilization that mankind has worked so strenuously to

achieve. All free spirits must do their utmost to avert

this potential defeat and embark on the path of

solidarity, cooperation and mutual understanding.

I would also like to convey the hope expressed by

the Government of San Marino and major institutional

bodies for intensified activity by the United Nations, in

the conviction that a more active role of the

Organization is needed to face the numerous

international challenges that, aside from today’s

15

exceptional circumstances, are still at the top of the

world political agenda.

On this occasion, I feel duty-bound to

congratulate the Secretary-General and the President of

the General Assembly for having implemented, with

great determination and courage, a major programme

of reforms aimed at strengthening the United Nations,

well aware of the fact that only a continuous

modernization process will enable the Organization to

work effectively and to keep abreast of future

developments.

In this regard, San Marino has repeatedly stressed

the need for a reformed Security Council that, in better

reflecting the new world order, would guarantee a

higher degree of representativeness, democracy and

transparency. We believe that such prerogatives can be

ensured by simply increasing the number of non-

permanent members. Moreover, San Marino hopes that

the right of veto may be gradually restricted with a

view to its eventual elimination. Indeed, my country is

convinced that the exercise of that right, or the mere

threat of its exercise, still represents a major obstacle

to the proper functioning of the Organization.

Equally important is the ongoing revitalization

process of the General Assembly. The progress that has

been achieved in terms of greater efficiency makes us

believe that the General Assembly will regain its status

as the major decision-making and representative body

of the United Nations. My country hopes that the Ad

Hoc Working Group, open to all Member States, will

carry on this revitalization process.

In consideration of the pivotal role of the United

Nations in fostering international peace and security,

the Republic of San Marino is of the opinion that this

Organization is the most appropriate negotiating forum

at the disposal of the community of nations. Besides

carefully following the Security Council’s efforts to

address the latest events, my country has paid great

attention to the Council’s ongoing commitment to

settling the conflicts afflicting Africa. Today more than

ever, we believe that the immediate implementation of

that body’s decisions is crucial to restoring peace in a

geographical area already stricken by poverty,

epidemics and underdevelopment.

San Marino is also seriously concerned about the

escalation of violence and the increased hostilities in

the Middle East and hopes that, in that tormented and

contested land, dialogue and negotiations can be

resumed as the sine qua non of a longed-for world

reconciliation.

Against today’s international backdrop, the

phenomenon of globalization also deserves careful

consideration. I am not referring exclusively to its

economic and commercial implications, though these

are its most tangible components.

Market expansion and the progressive abolition

of customs barriers have unquestionably contributed to

exporting job opportunities and, eventually, to

economic well-being. On the other hand, however, the

gap between the living conditions and standards of the

North and the South, of the industrialized countries vis-

à-vis the developing and least developed ones, which

are also burdened by huge foreign debt, has widened

dramatically. That gap must be immediately bridged in

order to guarantee the globalization of opportunities

along with the globalization of markets.

We have all witnessed the anti-globalization

demonstrations in Seattle, Prague and, more recently,

Genoa. Paradoxically, both the participants in the

summits and the demonstrators were striving for the

same objectives: poverty eradication, foreign debt

relief for developing countries and greater

environmental protection. I believe that the existence

of common objectives is a first step in the direction of

an open and constructive exchange of views.

The Republic of San Marino also maintains that

poverty alleviation is one of the major challenges

facing the international community for the immediate

future. Future projects should address not only the lack

of access to consumer goods, but also the lack of

education, liberty and participation in decision-making.

In this broader context, poverty is an insurmountable

obstacle to the full enjoyment of human rights and

fundamental freedoms.

Recently published data dramatically show that

more than 1.5 billion people live on less than $2 per

day, and at least two thirds are illiterate; 830 million

people suffer from severe malnutrition, and 750 million

are homeless, without access to health care. Moreover,

how can we ignore the fact that hundreds of millions of

children are suffering from malnutrition, that 30,000

children under five years of age are dying every day

and that more than 500 million of them live on less

than $1 per day?

16

Well aware of the dramatic situation of many

developing countries, the Republic of San Marino has

fully supported the initiatives sponsored by creditor

countries and international financial institutions to

reduce or cancel foreign debts of highly indebted

nations. Though not sufficient to mitigate the problem

of poverty or to stop the vicious cycle of misery, these

initiatives reflect the will of both creditor and debtor

countries to find jointly a solution for the scourge of

poverty and to share responsibilities.

It is not utopian to think that, by addressing and

solving the problems of hunger, poverty and the

disproportionate social, economic and cultural gaps

between a minority living in the North and an

overwhelming, poor and despairing majority living in

the South, terrorism will also be wiped out in the near

future. Indeed, poverty and ideological extremism

serve as fertile soil for terrorism, with its destructive

potential and toll in human lives.

Once again, the Holy Father has rightly called on

all States and peoples to struggle for justice, since this

is the only way to affirm the pre-eminence of law for

the international community. Throughout its long and

glorious history of freedom, San Marino has always

fully shared this ideal.

Prompted by these sentiments and determined to

further support progressive international détente, for

the benefit of both nations and individuals, I reiterate

the hope of the Republic of San Marino that the

international community, through the recognized

ability of the United Nations system, will be able to

give new impetus to the principles of dialogue and

cooperation upon which it is based.