San Marino, 2011

On behalf of the

Government of the Republic of San Marino, I wish to

congratulate Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his

election as President of the General Assembly at its

sixty-sixth session. His long experience as Ambassador

of Qatar to the United Nations and his deep knowledge

of this Organization will be valuable resources in

helping us move ahead with the reforms needed in the

most important areas of United Nations activity. Over

the past few years, Qatar has played a significant

mediation role in the Arab world. The delegation of

San Marino will cooperate fully in the work to be done.

I also wish to sincerely thank the Secretary-

General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his energy and

praiseworthy efforts, for the interest he constantly

displays in all United Nations Member States, and for

his constant and crucial presence in every politically

important situation and emergency worldwide. His

reappointment to a second term is important to

promoting reform of the United Nations, guaranteeing

the Organization’s full effectiveness and preventing

any action aimed at decentralizing global governance.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere

gratitude for the excellent work done by the United

Nations, under the careful and effective leadership of

the Secretary-General, in South Sudan. By putting an

end to the violence and atrocities that have plagued

that part of Africa for several years, the United Nations

action led to the Republic of South Sudan’s declaration

of independence and its admission to our Organization

as a new Member in July.

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the

tragic attack on the World Trade Center in New York, I

would like to stress the importance of effectively

combating terrorism and taking action to prevent the

formation and development of terrorist groups. A

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crucial task of policymakers is to create conditions in

which terrorism cannot find a breeding ground.

This year’s theme of the general debate, “The

role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by

peaceful means”, unquestionably represents the

purposes of diplomacy and the fundamental reason

why States decided to cooperate within the framework

of international bodies and mechanisms, headed by the

United Nations. In a certain sense, it is also closely

connected to the reform process of our Organization.

The principle of the peaceful settlement of

disputes between States is enshrined in the Charter of

the United Nations and in many General Assembly

resolutions, and the Republic of San Marino can only

support that principle. Indeed, our country has always

tried to settle conflicts by peaceful means and has

always believed in the power of dialogue, democracy

and tolerance — values on which peaceful coexistence

among peoples is based. With a view to achieving this

principle in order to maintain international peace and

security, the Republic of San Marino supports the role

and authority of the General Assembly and the Security

Council.

This year we have witnessed a massive popular

uprising spreading across the squares of cities in North

Africa and the Middle East. These are protests for

democracy and freedom, respect for human rights and

social justice. At the forefront of this revolution are

young people from the middle classes. Despite their

education, they have found themselves excluded from

the labour market or suffering under poor working

conditions.

The unusual scale of the Arab revolution, which

has taken the world by surprise, demonstrates that

major political and institutional changes are needed,

because our economic and social foundations have also

changed as a result of globalization. We cannot

consider this spontaneous uprising of people looking

for freedom, justice and democracy only in terms of

security. If the United Nations intends to play a pivotal

role in managing global governance, it should also be

able to interpret the need for such changes and to

support them, as far as possible. San Marino believes

that the United Nations must continue to play a leading

role in managing global governance. The deeply

democratic nature of our Organization, with its

universal participation and undisputed legitimacy, as

well as the richness and diversity of cultures and

traditions that are represented here, allow us to adopt

an approach aimed at harmonizing the interests of the

entire international community and at achieving

sustainable human development.

The global economic and financial crisis, the

devastating consequences of which are evident to all,

has unfortunately demonstrated that our existing

institutions are unable to respond rapidly and

adequately to such crises. This has led to a growth in

the influence of some informal groups, such as the

Group of Eight and the Group of 20 (G-20), on the

management of global economic governance. San

Marino is grateful to those groups and for the role they

have played.

However, we believe it important to emphasize

that in their decision-making process, which should be

more transparent and inclusive, it is essential that they

take into account the interests, worries and aspirations

of States outside their groups, particularly developing

countries. The actions of such informal groups should

be complementary to those of the United Nations,

which will require the development of specific

mechanisms to regulate their relations with our

Organization. We welcome the Secretary-General’s

participation in the G-20 meetings and the

consultations held by the rotating presidencies with the

United Nations. However, we stress the importance of

transparency in relations between these informal

groups and the United Nations system, the only

Organization in a position to take decisions whose

legitimacy no one can challenge.

The Republic of San Marino is concerned about

the consequences of the economic and financial crisis

and other crises closely and inevitably linked to it.

Unemployment is a very serious problem that faces

every country without distinction. Furthermore, in

many States the youth unemployment rate is twice as

high as that for adults. Long-term unemployment has

also risen in the past few years. We believe that the

United Nations should pay special attention to the issue

of unemployment.

Unfortunately, the negative effects of the global

economic and financial crisis are still visible today.

Although the international economy experienced a

modest recovery last year, we have not yet emerged

from the 2008 crisis. And beyond the problem of

unemployment, we are now confronting a global

sovereign debt crisis.

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Is there a good recipe for recovery from the

crisis? Is a rigorous economic policy sufficient? Do

innovative measures for relaunching the world’s

economy exist? Can these measures be shared, or are

we facing a deep systemic crisis requiring an in-depth

analysis of the way our societies function and a

rethinking of current business models? I believe that if

the United Nations focused on these important issues,

its leading role in global governance could not be

questioned by anyone.

The destinies of our peoples are linked to global

threats in an increasingly direct way. Today, the threats

of climate change and biodiversity loss, economic,

financial and employment crises, food security, public

health, disarmament and the non-proliferation of

weapons and the fight against terrorism are recognized

as being interdependent. On that basis, we should

create a new form of international cooperation and

multilateralism so as to coordinate our policies at the

international, national and regional levels. We have a

duty to guarantee the full effectiveness of the

Organization’s activities with a view to preserving and

strengthening its essential value as a point of reference

for the international community.

The interdependence of such threats is more

evident now than ever before. That is the case, for

example, of the impact of climate change on world

food security, which in turn poses a threat to security

and peace, not only in Africa, where perhaps this

relationship can more easily be observed, but

throughout the world. Food insecurity fuels violent

social conflicts. Climate change leads to a reduction in

global food production, the most damaging effects of

which are experienced in Africa and Asia.

The populations of countries in a post-conflict

situation, countries that depend more directly on

agriculture or the poorest developing countries will

have more difficulties than others in coping with rising

food prices due to droughts or other disasters caused by

climate change. Our country is following the

humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa with

great concern. The populations of Somalia, Kenya,

Ethiopia and Djibouti are the victims of a severe

drought. This is a humanitarian emergency affecting

over 12 million people, including many women and

children.

The Republic of San Marino is grateful to the

Secretary-General for his rapid and significant actions

in benefit of the affected populations. We also thank

the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

and the Central Emergency Response Fund for their

immediate response and their substantial contribution

to resolving the humanitarian emergency in the Horn of

Africa, and Member States for their financial

commitments.

Another but no less important effect of climate

change is sea-level rise, which has an impact on the

very existence of many Member States. This problem

affects not only small islands, but also large islands

and countries with extensive coastlines. Therefore, this

phenomenon affects a significant number of United

Nations Member States.

The implications, interdependence and effects of

serious global threats on populations and world peace

and security are increasingly evident. With a view to

addressing such challenges, we need a strong United

Nations, as well as effective and coordinated action in

our economic, environmental and food policies at all

levels — both globally and regionally. These policies

should be designed to achieve sustainable, inclusive

and equitable economic growth.

As I mentioned earlier, this year’s theme is

inevitably linked to the reform of the United Nations.

That reform will be fundamental to future world

stability and the maintenance of international peace

and security. It must remain the target of all our efforts.

The Republic of San Marino has been following

with interest the Security Council reform process since

1994. In that regard, it is grateful to Ambassador Tanin

for the wisdom and impartiality with which he has

presided over the intergovernmental negotiations on

Security Council reform and for his tireless efforts to

reach the broadest possible political agreement. We are

convinced that intergovernmental negotiations are the

right framework within which to find a solution that

reflects the interests and positions of all Members. It is

essential to move beyond respective initial positions in

order to negotiate the broadest possible agreement. The

Republic San Marino believes that the five key issues

of reform — categories of membership, the question of

the veto, regional representation, the size of an

enlarged Council and its working methods, and its

relationship with the General Assembly — are closely

interrelated and need to be considered as a whole.

Another major reform in the United Nations to

which our country attaches great importance is the

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revitalization process of the General Assembly. The

Republic of San Marino supports this reform process

and, in that regard, wishes to thank Lithuania and Saint

Vincent and the Grenadines for having co-chaired the

Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the

General Assembly this year.

The revitalization of the General Assembly is a

politically necessary reform and, at the same time,

essential to the future of the United Nations. It is a

reform that should involve all States in reaching an

agreement based, again, on the broadest possible

political consensus and aimed at reaffirming the central

role of the General Assembly as the most

representative body of the United Nations, as well as

the role and leadership of its President. Reform should

make the work of the General Assembly more

effective, prevent duplication of its activities, and

improve its relations with the other United Nations

bodies. Nevertheless, the revitalization of the General

Assembly should not concern these aspects alone,

however important they may be. The Assembly should

become a key forum where solutions can be found to

the problems posed by the global threats that

increasingly unite the destinies of our peoples.

There are many issues and themes on which the

United Nations focuses its attention, and it is

impossible to address all of them. Therefore, I will

highlight some aspects that are perhaps lesser known,

but no less important.

About 15 per cent of the world’s population has

some kind of disability, while between 2 to 4 per cent

suffers from severe disabilities. Since the adoption in

2006 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities, we have witnessed a clear affirmation of

the rights of the disabled. Today, the Convention has

been ratified by over 100 countries. The international

community has taken important steps forward in terms

of equality for and non-discrimination towards

disabled people, as well as their full inclusion and

participation in the social, political and cultural life of

societies. However, much remains to be done in order

to implement the Convention, including the

establishment of legislative frameworks and policies at

the national and international levels.

The international community should also deal

with the strong relationship between disability and

poverty, and include that issue in future political

strategies. A similar approach is fundamental in efforts

to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. At

present, 80 per cent of persons with disabilities live in

developing countries and most live below the poverty

line. In addition, many of the children who do not

attend school have some kind of disability. Therefore,

it is clear that targeted strategies and policies taking

into due account the situation of children with

disabilities should be adopted to achieve the Goal of

universal primary education.

More than 8 million children under five years of

age and 350,000 mothers die every year. Today,

67 million children are still out of school, and

195 million children under five years of age suffer

from chronic malnutrition, which remains the major

cause of childhood death. Every day, more than

1,000 babies are born with HIV and about 5 million

young people between 15 and 24 years of age are

living with this virus.

Children continue to be the most vulnerable to

and most affected by violence, abuse and exploitation.

Currently, more than 200 million children, especially

those in developing countries, do not have a birth

certificate. Sadly, most can barely access basic

services, such as health care and education, or enjoy

their rights. Also, it is difficult to protect them. This

threatens to seriously undermine the achievement of

the Millennium Development Goals. The Republic of

San Marino joins the international community in

supporting resolution 65/1, entitled “Keeping the

promise: united to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals”.

Gender equality is rightly placed high on the

agenda of the United Nations. In many countries,

maternal mortality figures are still worrying, especially

in the poorest areas of the world. Furthermore, young

people, girls and women are the most affected by HIV.

Unfortunately, trafficking in women and children

remains a serious problem. Women and girls continue

to be subjected to humiliating practices, such as the

payment of the bride price, child marriage, kidnapping

and sexual violence, including domestic violence.

Protecting the rights of women in conflict and

post-conflict situations continues to be another high

priority for the United Nations. Women facing such

situations are very often victims of sexual violence,

mass rape, torture and arbitrary executions.

Schooling and education are vital to countering

discrimination and favour the empowerment of women.

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Improving the quality of and access to education for

women and children requires providing them with

instruments to improve their economic and social

living conditions.

I have talked about groups of people who live in

extremely difficult conditions in many areas of the

world and represent a very large share of the world’s

population. The primary task of each individual and

State is to support every effort to help them live in

decent conditions and feelfully included in society.

Their progress will be our progress, and their smile

will be the light allowing us to look to the future with

optimism.