San Marino, 2003

On behalf of

the Government of the Republic of San Marino, let me

congratulate Mr. Julian Hunte on his election to the

presidency of the fifty-eighth session of the General

Assembly. His election brings us great satisfaction

since he also represents a small country, Saint Lucia,

like ours.

I also wish to express my country’s appreciation

for the fruitful work and remarkable abilities of former

Assembly President Jan Kavan. It has been a privilege

for us to cooperate with him.

I cannot start my speech without mentioning the

cowardly attacks on the United Nations offices in

Baghdad, which took a heavy toll of lives including

that of Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative

of the United Nations Secretary-General in Iraq.

On behalf of the Government and people of San

Marino, I take this opportunity to reiterate our most

sincere condolences to the Secretary-General and the

families of the victims. Furthermore, we would like to

express our deep appreciation to the United Nations for

the fundamental role it is playing in Iraq during this

difficult transition period for the Iraqi people. The

necessary conditions for social and economic

development will be established only through security

and stability, independence and democracy, the rule of

law and respect for human rights.

In light of the above, I wish to express the hope

that the transitional Iraqi Governing Council,

welcomed and supported by the Security Council, may

operate efficiently so that Iraq can fully enjoy its right

to self-determination, its own sovereignty and establish

a democratic and representative Government,

internationally recognized and able to guarantee the

conditions necessary for the country’s reconstruction.

We also hope that the United Nations may further

strengthen its active humanitarian and civil role in

favour of the Iraqi population, so as to contribute to the

rebirth of that nation through democracy and

development. We hope that all countries cooperating in

Iraq to improve security and order, under the aegis of

the United States of America, after assuring a decisive

contribution to the liberation of the country from the

previous regime, will reach an agreement with this

Organization.

To this end, the drafting of a new Security

Council resolution, the outcome of a lively debate that

is going on now, would be a major political and

diplomatic achievement. It would definitely pave the

way to democracy and progress in Iraq and embody the

will of many different Governments under the aegis of

the United Nations.

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In line with its tradition of solidarity, and as

demonstrated in recent years through its support of

humanitarian projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Kosovo, the Middle East and in several African

countries, often in the context of ad hoc programmes

and United Nations special missions, my country will

be pleased to contribute to the reconstruction process in

Iraq. For the achievement of this objective, the

forthcoming conference on the reconstruction of Iraq is

particularly interesting.

The tragic, painful and unforgettable events of 11

September 2001 have also marked the proliferation of

international terrorism and the escalation of terrorist

attacks.

Today’s gathering in this important forum is a

clear indication of our country’s position and its

significance is increased by the universal character of

this meeting.

The creation of the United Nations nearly 60

years ago, at the end of Second World War, attested to

a unanimous desire for lasting peace and justice. I

believe that at the beginning of the third millennium it

is the responsibility of the Organization to reflect

effectively the will of States to fulfil that original

commitment and keep its original spirit alive through

dialogue, mediation and cooperation. Conscious of this,

San Marino reaffirms its decision to reject all forms of

terrorism and to contribute fully to its defeat, as

testified to by the Republic’s accession to several

international instruments of the United Nations and

European organizations.

Likewise, San Marino has promptly followed up on

Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and will continue

to monitor terrorism at the national level, as can be noted

by the implementation of the guidelines to combat the

phenomenon of terrorism and its related aspects.

Unfortunately, it is evident that terrorism, aside

from being inspired by fanaticism and fundamentalism,

is too often linked to underdevelopment and injustice;

their victims can, in turn, become instruments of

violence and oppression. However, terrorism can also

be countered through the active support of international

cooperation programmes to overcome disparities,

poverty, discrimination, the violation of the rights of

individuals and peoples, a total absence of opportunities,

and, as a result, hopelessness, in particular among the

young, who are the future of mankind.

Our collective efforts to restore favourable

conditions for dialogue and mutual acceptance must

not be weakened by the growing concern of persistent,

serious obstacles to the road map for peace in the

Middle East, where negotiations and agreements are

being jeopardized by renewed terrorist attacks, hatred

and retaliation. We are convinced that the Israeli and

Palestinian peoples must be ensured the indisputable

right to live freely in their own territory, where they

can exercise their full sovereignty in security and peace.

The success of the globalization process under

way will ultimately depend on achieving peace and

development for all. Within the framework of effective

global cooperation, the role played by San Marino is

inextricably linked to its tradition of freedom,

independence and democracy. Those principles, which

have characterized the Republic’s 1700 years of existence,

continue to inspire its international policy today.

In 1854 San Marino became the first European

country to ban the death penalty. My country believes

that this issue, which is so important and topical, must

remain a top priority for the General Assembly, even

though it is not on the agenda for this session.

In the field of human rights, the ethics of

diversity requires the acceptance of the human

condition. In that spirit, San Marino has followed with

special attention the negotiations within the working

group for the drafting of an international convention on

the rights of persons with disabilities.

San Marino continues to pay great attention to the

follow-up given to initiatives on HIV/AIDS being

carried out by the United Nations and to the search for

adequate responses so as to prevent the spread of new

epidemics such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

(SARS). San Marino is also following with great

interest the work of the working group for the drafting

of an international convention against the reproductive

cloning of human beings, spurred by the conviction

that the cloning of human beings is an immoral and

inhuman degeneration of biotechnological development

and that such an abhorrent practice would be contrary

to human dignity. The important ethical and moral

implications of this issue cannot be separated from

purely scientific questions. We hope that the United

Nations will continue to strive for the protection of the

fundamental rights of human beings.

Additionally, in the area of human rights, San

Marino recently extended a standing invitation to the

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Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights to visit the Republic whenever

necessary in order better to carry out its mandate.

I wish to recall that San Marino was the first

Western European country to ratify the Statute of the

International Criminal Court, confident that the Court

would satisfy the widespread desire for justice and put

an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most

serious crimes against the international community as a

whole. Let me also express our best wishes to the

Court, which is composed of authoritative judges, and

convey our hope that it will now be able to work in

accordance with the objectives of justice, security and

peace on which it is based. We are confident its work

will be fruitful and that it will always act independently

and impartially.

All the objectives set out in the Millennium

Declaration could be achieved if an additional $50 billion

per year were granted for development assistance, at a

time when global military expenditures total $850 billion.

We also wish to express our appreciation for the positive

achievements of United Nations peacekeeping missions

deployed to many areas of the world afflicted by

conflicts. Such results should encourage Governments

to increase their support for those missions, which

promote lasting, sustainable peace and the re-

establishment of democracy and the rule of law.

San Marino will continue to participate in joint

action for the total elimination of anti-personnel mines.

In that context, San Marino urges countries that have

not yet done so to accede to the Ottawa Convention.

The tenth anniversary of the International Year of

the Family in 2004 will provide further incentive to

reflect on and analyse the living conditions of our

populations, paying particular attention to children, the

elderly and the most vulnerable in our societies. Such

groups deserve greater consideration from society.

Society must promote effective projects for education,

solidarity and adequate support.

Only a few days ago, the United Nations

Committee on the Rights of the Child reviewed San

Marino’s initial report on its implementation of the

provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the

Child. The relevant measures now in force will soon be

supplemented by new ones in support of the family.

In underlining the validity of the reform

programme started by the Secretary-General, we deem

it necessary to continue efforts to reform the General

Assembly, which is the most representative body of our

Organization. Indeed, the Assembly should enjoy

greater authority. We hope that agreement can also be

reached on Security Council reform, and San Marino

reiterates its support for the inclusion of a larger

number of non-permanent members, in order to make

the Council more representative and democratic.

Let me stress once again my country’s

appreciation for and commitment to activities carried

out by the United Nations in building a world of peace,

solidarity and development.

It is in that spirit that this morning I signed three

important international instruments: the Convention on

the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against

Women, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,

recently adopted at the fifty-sixth Assembly of the World

Health Organization and the Second Optional Protocol to

the International Covenant on Civil and Political

Rights, aimed at abolishing the death penalty.

We need to continue our action at the international

level despite all the difficulties and tensions that exist,

bearing in mind that our joint efforts are essential to

finding a solution to the emergencies and concerns of

today. Bringing about the necessary changes, we will

be able to reconfirm the validity of the basic principles

of this Organization. We will responsibly set the

conditions for our future and thus meet the

expectations of our peoples and our hearts.

While expressing my best wishes to you, Mr

President, to the Secretary-General and to all United

Nations officers, as well as to all Member States. I

assure them that San Marino will be at their side in

meeting all of these challenges.