San Marino, 2012

On behalf of

the Government of the Republic of San Marino, I

congratulate Mr. Vuk Jeremić on his election as

President of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh

session, and I wish him a fruitful year. The San Marino

delegation assures him of its utmost cooperation in all

the work of the General Assembly. I also express my

country’s gratitude to the outgoing President of the

General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, for the

excellent work carried out during the sixty-sixth session.

He distinguished himself by his leadership in the

difficult and complex issues before the United Nations.

He promoted the most important themes on the General

Assembly’s agenda with courage and determination,

laying foundations for solutions based on the widest

possible consensus, while continually working to

strengthen the global governance architecture.

My country also extends special thanks to the

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

and extraordinary determination in leading the United

Nations. San Marino supports the basic priorities of the

Secretary-General’s political action and his idea that the

United Nations should play a key role in strengthening

global governance by creating new cooperation

models capable of managing today’s challenges and

the ever-increasing calls for change. The Organization

is in a unique position to provide solutions in deeply

interconnected fields, such as development, peace and

security, human rights and humanitarian action.

San Marino appreciates the focus of the Secretary-

General’s attention on all United Nations Member

States, without distinction, as well as his commitment in

the field of reform and his presence in all international politically relevant and emergency situations. Among

those worth underlining is the Secretary-General’s

tireless commitment to finding a solution to the terrible

Syrian conflict.

I thank the President for the theme chosen for this

session: “Bringing about adjustment or settlement

of international disputes or situations by peaceful

means”. The Republic of San Marino strongly believes

in the settlement of international disputes by peaceful

means. My country has always believed in the power of

dialogue, democracy and respect for others as values at

the basis of peaceful coexistence among peoples.

In that respect, with reference to the recent bloody

attacks on Western diplomatic missions, San Marino

intends to voice once more its firm condemnation of

any form of violence. We do not believe that violence

is the right answer when someone feels hurt in his

personal beliefs or opinions, regardless of the gravity of

the statements made. Human life must always be above

everything and everyone. Those actions are even more

reproachable when directed to institutions that are the

emblems of international collaboration and mutual

assistance and when States bear no responsibility for

the statements made.

Our country is therefore grateful to the President

for having chosen the theme, most of all at a time when

the international scene is unfortunately characterized

by ever-increasing and bloody conflicts. In that

context, the role of the United Nations, and in particular

of the General Assembly, in peaceful transitions and

democratic solutions is even more fundamental.

For that reason and because the international

community is now called upon to face major global

challenges in a consistent and rapid manner, the reform

process of the United Nations is crucial to future world

stability and must remain the target of all our efforts.

We have the 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 and for any

individual.

I have the pleasure to reiterate again this year the

support granted by San Marino to the revitalization

process of the General Assembly. In that regard, I thank

Georgia and the Gambia, as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc

Working Group on the Revitalization of the General

Assembly, for the report recently adopted (A/66/891),

which is the outcome of considerable effort and numerous informal meetings with Member States and

the representatives of the various political groups. That

reform is particularly important for my country, since

the General Assembly is the most democratic body of

the United Nations and, as such, the most adequate

and sometimes the only forum where a small State can

express its opinions.

The revitalization process of the General Assembly

is fundamental to strengthening the global governance

architecture and must be an objective common to all

Member States. The rationalization of the agenda and

improvement of the methods of work of the General

Assembly are important aspects of the reform, which is

necessary to enhance the technical and administrative

efficiency of this body. But more importantly, the

revitalization process should include the political role

of the General Assembly and its authority, as defined

in the Charter of the United Nations. The reform of the

General Assembly should also improve its relations

with the other main organs of the United Nations in

order to avoid duplication of functions and means.

The Republic of San Marino believes that the role

of the General Assembly should not be limited to that

of a mere body where resolutions are adopted. On the

contrary, it should be a forum for the exchange of ideas

and debate, where solutions to today’s challenges can

be found, and where a global consensus on issues of

common interest can be reached. In that regard, with a

view to enabling the Assembly to fully perform its task,

San Marino supports the prerogative of its President

to organize thematic debates on the most relevant and

urgent issues at the international level.

In that context, I underline the great importance

attached by my country to the initiative of the outgoing

President to organize, together with the Secretary-

General, the high-level thematic debate on the state

of the world economy and finance in 2012, which

took place on 17 and 18 May here in New York. The

Republic of San Marino, together with Turkey, had the

honour and the pleasure to facilitate that event. The

debate was an efficient way to reaffirm the central role

of the United Nations, and in particular of the General

Assembly, by enhancing its deeply democratic nature

and its indisputable legitimacy in dealing with issues

that affect the entire world community.

Four years ago, the world economy suffered a

devastating financial crisis, the consequences of which

are still evident to all. A prompt response by the Group of Twenty and its central banks was able to avoid the

worst effects of this crisis, but the situation is still

precarious. According to forecasts, many developed

countries will experience stagnation and in some cases

recession. Economic growth has slowed down in many

other countries. Today, unemployment has reached the

highest levels, in particular among young people and

women. Increases in the prices of food products and

persistent inequalities contribute to higher poverty

rates and cause increasingly violent social tensions.

Problems connected with sovereign debts in

Europe have further worsened global economic crisis.

The crisis has severely hit many countries of the world,

thus becoming one of today’s major challenges to our

Organization as well. It is now more than ever necessary

to find new strategies, solutions and, more importantly,

to create a sense of solidarity among our countries and

peoples.

For those reasons too, the organization this year of

a thematic debate on the state of the world economy and

finance was extremely important. My country firmly

believes that this exercise should be repeated at this

session of the General Assembly and perhaps at later

sessions, at least until the crisis has been overcome.

Indeed, when we talk about the revitalization of the

General Assembly, we think of a forum where all

members of the international community have the

opportunity to exchange ideas on the most important

and urgent themes that have a global dimension and

need a global response. In our opinion, the Organization

should play a leadership role in the promotion of fair

and inclusive growth, sustainable development and the

elimination of poverty and hunger.

The reform of the Security Council is part of a wider

reform of the United Nations and remains a central

theme of the activity of the General Assembly. Over

the past few years, the Security Council has approved

a growing number of peacekeeping operations and has

been increasingly involved in extremely important

issues concerning international peace and security.

The reform of that body, based on the widest possible

political consensus, is therefore necessary and must be

carried out with the utmost commitment by all Member

States.

The Republic of San Marino is grateful to

Ambassador Tanin for the wisdom and impartiality

with which he has presided over intergovernmental

negotiations on the reform. Our country is convinced that the intergovernmental negotiations launched three

years ago still represent the right framework to find a

solution, taking into account the interests and positions

of all. Although the various groups of countries still

express different positions, it must be recognized that

some steps forward have been taken in the reform

process. San Marino believes that the reform should

lead to an enlarged, more representative, transparent

and efficient Security Council. Moreover, it believes

that the five strongly interconnected fundamental

themes of the reform need to be considered as a whole.

Over the past few years, some new bloody and

violent conflicts have broken out. We have also

witnessed a massive popular uprising spreading across

the squares of cities in North Africa and the Middle

East. At the forefront of the Arab revolution were young

people, educated and penalized by exclusion from the

labour market. The situation is still unstable, and we

are unable to imagine what the future of such countries

will look like. However, we must support them in their

struggle for democracy, liberty and social justice.

Furthermore, today we are witnessing the Syrian

conflict, the violence of which is unacceptable. There

are clear reports on the atrocities perpetrated against the

population: mass killings, rapes, summary executions

and torture. Children have been among the innocent

victims of the massacres. San Marino firmly condemns

those atrocities, in the same way as it condemns

any violation of human rights and international

humanitarian law.

We hope that the Security Council will be able to

reach an agreement soon on how to settle the Syrian

crisis. San Marino seizes this opportunity to express

its most sincere wishes to His Excellency Lakhdar

Brahimi for having accepted a difficult task.

The commitment of the General Assembly

concerning the Syrian crisis reflects an important

mission of our Organization: to keep the peace

worldwide and to ensure respect for freedoms and

human rights. The Republic of San Marino expresses

its satisfaction with the adoption, on 3 August last, of

resolution 66/253 B, which we co-sponsored.

Another important theme this year on the agenda

of the General Assembly has been the improvement

of disaster prevention and response. That theme has

recently gained greater importance in the political

agenda. Rising temperatures, earthquakes and

droughts have caused unprecedented humanitarian disasters. Many populations have suffered food and

health insecurity, thus becoming fully aware of their

vulnerability. Disasters are, of course, not only natural

ones but also caused by human beings. The international

community must be able to rapidly and efficiently

respond to emergency situations. A fundamental way

to reduce the risks connected with natural disasters is

undoubtedly to invest in the most vulnerable regions in

order to build the capacities necessary to prevent them,

so that action can be taken before disasters occur.

In the short term, however, it is essential to provide

our political and financial support so as to overcome

the consequences of disasters. In that regard, I am

proud of the fact that my country, despite its small size,

is ranked fifty-second among donors to the Central

Emergency Response Fund.

We are extremely grateful to the Secretary-

General, as well as to the Office for the Coordination

of Humanitarian Affairs and the Fund, for their rapid

and fundamental action in favour of populations in

humanitarian emergency and for their substantial

contribution. Humanitarian and development issues,

particularly sustainable development, are inevitably

intertwined, and our success in providing an efficient

response to natural disasters certainly has a direct

impact on our capacity to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals.

Indeed, as this is a global economic crisis, responses

must also have a global dimension. The United Nations,

on account of its universal character, must play a key

role in the decision-making process on the world

economy and sustainable development, with a view

to finding new solutions and to promoting a political

consensus on these issues.

The Organization must play a leadership role in

the promotion of fair and inclusive growth, sustainable

development and the elimination of poverty and hunger.

In that context, San Marino welcomes the results

of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable

Development, held last June in Rio. Resolution 66/288,

entitled “The future we want”, marked the conclusion

of long and complex negotiations at the end of which

States finally recognized their common responsibilities.

Now the most important thing is for the commitments

undertaken to be respected so that the future that

is wanted and set out in the resolution can become a

reality. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human

Rights states that everyone is entitled to the same

rights and freedoms, without distinction of any kind.

Unfortunately, in today’s world there is a clear and

direct relationship among disability, poverty and social

exclusion. According to estimates, approximately

15 per cent of the world’s population is affected by

disabilities, and about two thirds of disabled people live

in developing countries. Many of them cannot actively

participate in their societies. This situation is not

limited only to developing countries. Indeed, women,

men and children with disabilities are often victims of

discrimination even in the richest societies.

San Marino was among the first countries to ratify

the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons

with Disabilities. That Convention and its optional

Protocol cover a wide range of civil, cultural, economic,

political and social rights. My country is pleased that

the Convention has been ratified by more than half of

Member States and hopes that it will soon be ratified

by all. Each country has the duty to fully implement

the Convention. An effective and positive change in the

lives of people with disabilities will be possible only if

it is fully implemented.

The Republic of San Marino congratulates the

General Assembly on its decision to convene a high-

level meeting on disability and development in

September 2013 and hopes that the meeting will be a

great success.

Today we all recognize and appreciate the

fundamental role of women. Nonetheless, the

discrimination and violence to which women are still

often subjected are among the major concerns of the

United Nations. In many countries, maternal mortality

is still worrisome, especially in the poorest areas of the

world. Women are the most affected by HIV. In many

parts of the world, women continue to be subjected

to atrocious and humiliating practices. Improving the

status of women all over the world is our responsibility,

a responsibility which all States must share. To that

end, in order to promote the empowerment of women,

it is essential to guarantee women’s access to schooling

and education and to improve their participation in

political, social and economic life at all levels. The

Republic of San Marino welcomes the proposal to hold

a global conference on women in 2015, 20 years after

the Beijing summit. Despite the fact that child mortality is decreasing,

the most recent estimates show that in 2010

approximately 7.6 million children died before the age

of 5. Moreover, according to estimates, in 2015 about

72 million children will not have access to schooling.

Recently, the drought and food emergency in the

Horn of Africa has had a devastating impact on about

13 million people, in particular women and children.

Almost 5 million young people between the ages of 15

and 24 are affected by HIV.

Children are still the most vulnerable group of the

population and are subjected to violence, abuse and

exploitation. A vast number of children all over the

world do not still have access to basic services, health

care and education. Besides facing global challenges

such as the economic crisis and the problems connected

with climate change, States must find the resources

necessary to best meet the needs of children and to

immediately improve the conditions of those living in

the poorest areas of the world. It is imperative for us

all if we want to guarantee to the global community a

future worthy of the name.