San Marino, 2014

On behalf of

the Government of the Republic of San Marino, I would

like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election

to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-

ninth session, and to wish you every success in your

work. The delegation of the Republic of San Marino

assures you, Sir, of its full cooperation throughout

the session. I would also like to express my country’s

gratitude to the outgoing President of the General

Assembly, Mr. John Ashe, for his work during the

sixty-eighth session. My country also wishes to extend

special thanks to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for

the energy and determination with which he leads

the United Nations and for his sensitivity towards all

Member States, without exception.

In particular, I would like to underscore the

importance of the climate change Summit organized by

the Secretary-General in New York on 23 September.

It provided the Heads of State and Government with

the opportunity to demonstrate their political will

for a global agreement on that issue. The Republic

of San Marino contributed to the work through the

participation of its Head of State, thereby underscoring

the importance and acknowledging the indissoluble link

between climate change and sustainable development.

The effects of climate change, which are often tragic,

are one of the most serious threats to the future of

humankind and a challenge that all States, in the context

of a joint action coordinated by the United Nations, are

called on to face with commitment and determination.

We are accountable to future generations for our ability

to achieve the goals of environmental protection, energy

saving and energy generation from renewable sources.

Climate change is one of the causes of many natural

disasters that have befallen our planet, including this

year. We need to respond effectively to the many very

serious humanitarian emergencies, which show the

clear interdependence of the global threats now facing

humankind. Today, a strong, rapid and coordinated

response at the international level is necessary to

deal with the very serious outbreak of Ebola that has

developed in some West African States and has become

a global threat. The most affected countries must not

be left alone or isolated. On the contrary, they must

be supported and helped. San Marino was among the

sponsors of resolution 2177 (2014), recently adopted

by the Security Council, which underscores the need

for an immediate mobilization of the international

community.

We are deeply moved by the problems at the

international level, and, in the light of the theme

of this session, “Delivering on and implementing a

transformative post-2015 development agenda”, we

recognize the need for a renewed commitment to

freeing the world from extreme poverty, inequality

and hunger. However, we are aware that the full

achievement of such goals is seriously compromised

when peace and security, on the basis of respect for the

equal dignity of all human beings, are not ensured. This

year, we have sadly witnessed too many incidents that

represent a serious threat to peace, security and respect

for human rights. It is therefore impossible not to share

the widespread perception of a weakening of the United

Nations capacity to intervene and the subsequent

questioning of United Nations-led missions.

Let us consider the following events. Since March

2011, the conflict in Syria has already caused more than

200,000 deaths and injured hundreds of thousands. It

has forced millions of people to flee their homes and

their countries to escape a war that shows infinite forms

of cruelty and ferocity. The Republic of San Marino

has strongly condemned and continues to condemn

the violations of human rights and of international

humanitarian law committed in Syria by all parties to

the conflict, without exception. The recent resurgence

of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has of late claimed

the lives of more than 1,000 civilians, among whom

were many women and children, for the most part

Palestinian, including those who had sought refuge in

United Nations schools. The San Marino Government

and Parliament have appealed to both sides to let their

guns fall silent and the desire for dialogue prevail,

aware that dialogue is the only way to achieve a peaceful

coexistence of the two peoples.

The situation is very serious in Iraq, where

ongoing ethnic and religious cleansing is taking place

with unprecedented violence. In the name of religion,

systematic and massive human rights violations,

only partially documented and evidenced, are being

perpetrated. Such violations constitute massive crimes

against humanity. A coalition of States is undertaking a

joint response. San Marino hopes that the interventions

are coordinated under the auspices of the United

Nations. In particular, it greeted with satisfaction and

co-sponsored resolution 2178 (2014) on foreign terrorist

fighters, unanimously adopted by the Security Council

on 24 September, under the leadership of the United

States President, Barack Obama.

The war that is being fought in some parts of North

Africa is causing the migration of thousands of desperate

people leaving for Europe every day in the hope of

arriving safely — a migration that, unfortunately,

often turns into tragedy. The Mediterranean continues

to witness the deaths of migrants from many areas

of Africa and Asia. The information provided by the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is

evidence — as if evidence were necessary — not only

of the utter tragedy of the situation but also of the need

for a more united European action to address it.

In addition, this year has seen the crisis in Ukraine,

which is a serious threat to the peace and security of

the entire European continent, owing to both the large

number of victims and also the fact that fundamental

principles, such as the territorial sovereignty and self-

determination of peoples, are called into question.

These events demand the presence of the United

Nations and call for the entire international community

to assume its responsibility and to restore the

Organization’s capacity to intervene in order to protect

the citizens of the entire world through the peaceful

resolution of disputes between States, as enshrined in the

Charter of the United Nations and in numerous General

Assembly resolutions. These events also underscore

the need for a reaffirmation of our Organization’s

profoundly democratic nature so that each State, large

or small, can make its voice heard and contribute to

the work and resolutions of the United Nations. These

events require that the cultural and religious diversity

and the manifold traditions represented within our

Organization do not hamper the pursuit of possible

solutions. On the contrary, they should be a valuable

resource, enabling us to adopt an approach that unites

the interests of the entire international community.

We recognize the duty and the responsibility to

work tirelessly for the definition and the implementation

of the post-2015 development agenda. However, given

the seriousness of the international situation, a simple

appeal will not suffice. On the contrary, precisely

because, in many cases, a lack of integration between

the economic and the social and environmental aspects

has hampered the full achievement of the Millennium

Development Goals, as the report notes, we are

convinced that we need new momentum and a new

beginning in order to restore elements able to promote

a culture of life, tolerance, acceptance and solidarity

within our communities and populations. The first

element of that process, aimed at building a culture of

inclusion, is the family. Recognition of the urgency to

create such a culture demands of all States a common

commitment and renewed consideration to promote

the protection and support of the family. Indeed, the

family is clearly the place where our main relationships

governing human coexistence are developed. For that

reason, weakening and marginalizing the family has

often caused great existential confusion in younger

generations with many serious personal and social

consequences.

In this spirit and with the utmost determination,

each State must assume its responsibility and leave no

stone unturned in resolving the numerous conflicts,

which Pope Francis has referred to as the third world

war, since, if they were to prevail, they would nullify the

plan for balanced development in the third millennium,

as it should be defined in the United Nations agenda.

San Marino is a small State that has in its century-old

history always considered freedom and peace as the

supreme goods to be preserved and protected. Based

on that identity, it is honoured and proud to contribute

to the community of the United Nations. With humility

we call on all States to make every effort to give the

United Nations strength and authority as the central

referral body we so keenly need today.