YouSaid · the spoken record

Giuseppe Conte

lines on the record: 50
first: 2018-09-24
most recent: 2020-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The invisible enemy of today has yet to be defeated and is still causing victims and uncertainties. The pandemic has cast a light on our weaknesses, but also on our strength as an international community. It has taught us that only together can we turn this dark page. It is, once again, time to embark on a new journey. It is time for courage; time for vision, as it was 75 years ago. Let us all, therefore, renew our commitment to work together to build the future of our children. Thank you.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“At the same time, we must nurture a long-term vision that starts with tracing back to the root causes of these movements. Italy, as a Country of entry into the European Union, is once again on the front line to support a change in perspective leading to a multilevel European governance based on genuine solidarity, and the development of secure channels for legal migration. Mr President, We must ensure that the Organization fulfill its mandate in the best way possible, realizing the founding principles of its Charter, which are still today a vital point of reference for the international community, by rallying our efforts around the process of reform of the United Nations Security Council. We must make this process more democratic, more effective and more representative of the entire UN Membership.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Italy immediately took to the front line in the collective effort, led by the United Nations, to overcome the current emergency and support future reconstruction. Italy will continue to do so, contributing to the stabilization efforts conducted by the UNIFIL mission currently under Italian command. Among the negative effects the pandemic has caused in crisis areas is the worsening of the already dire vulnerabilities of migrants. Irregular migration flows are a global challenge, and as such, can be overcome only through a multilateral response of the international community. What is needed is action structured around the principles of solidarity and accountability, and founded on partnerships with the Countries of origin, transit and destination of flows. We thus need collective action against the networks of traffickers of human beings.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The humanitarian initiatives that, through the invaluable work of UN agencies and Italy’s strong support, touch every part of the Country, must continue to be supported as they complement the path toward a political solution — the only solution that can guarantee lasting peace and stability for Libya. Just over two weeks ago, I visited Lebanon, to personally bear testament to Italy’s solidarity to a people that — in the midst of a severe economic, political and health crisis — found itself grappling with the horrible tragedy that struck Beirut on 4 August. I also wished to encourage its institutions to continue to take heed of the Lebanese people’s demand for reforms that can no longer wait.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Its chances of success are tied to two factors: the respect of the Libyan people’s ownership of an inclusive solution and the essential mediation role of the UN. We must stop external interferences and meddling. The ceasefire, despite its fragility, has finally reopened a space for intra- Libyan dialogue and the recent talks in Montreux send a strong signal that we must heed and protect. There is no better way to sustain peace than to show its advantages to the very peoples touched by the conflict. For this reason, the next step to take in Libya will be to allow for a resumption of oil production, throughout the Country, promoting an equitable management of resources to the benefit of the entire, and I mean entire, Libyan population.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We thus stand without fail beside the United Nations in the promotion of stabilization processes, by investing all of our political capital, as well as by making a determined, concrete contribution to the SecretaryGeneral’s peacekeeping initiatives. This action responds to the widespread instability that, unfortunately, continues to afflict the entirety of the Greater Mediterranean, stretching east to Afghanistan and increasingly affecting directly the Sahel and the Horn of Africa in the south. Across this vast and complex region, Italy will continue to make a proactive and multidimensional contribution to peace, security and development. Today we can look with hope to the timid but encouraging developments in the peace process in Libya.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This is why we have immediately supported the Appeal, launched by Secretary-General Guterres in March for a “Global Ceasefire”. Italy firmly believes that matters of peace and security should be tackled by way of prevention, mediation and consolidation of peace. Situations of conflict require a multi-dimensional approach comprising development, politics, culture, justice and human rights. We must give back primacy to politics, politics with a capital P, diplomacy, dialogue and — allow me to underscore, compelled by my legal background — international law over military options. We should do so not only to fulfill our natural aspirations toward peace, but because history — the most recent even more so than earlier chapters — shows that the recourse to arms is not sustainable nor lasting.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The health crisis has shed an even brighter light on the vulnerability, discrimination, abuse and violence, which women still today endure throughout the world. By the same token, however, the crisis and emergency have also shined a light on their strength and their invaluable, irreplaceable role. This year we are celebrating an important anniversary: 25 years have passed since the fourth Beijing World Conference. This should be an opportunity to take stock of the successes, but also to forge ahead with more work that must be done to hold true to our shared commitments to realizing full, effective gender equality. Mr President, In many parts of the world, the pandemic has descended upon situations of conflict and severe crises, with potentially devastating consequences.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This year, an eighth resolution for a universal moratorium against the death penalty will be submitted to the General Assembly. I recall that the death penalty was abolished for the first time in world history in 1786, by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. This sensitivity is part of our historic tradition. Indeed the first draft resolution for a universal moratorium was put forward precisely by Italy in 2007. This battle — I was saying — is our cultural heritage and national civic identity. It is our hope that the resolution rally an ever-greater consensus. However, we will not be able to pursue the goal of a society founded on the respect of human rights if we do not prioritize the rights of women.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In this spirit, Italy supports its Partner Countries, and in particular, those that need it the most, in building together a future resilient to climate change and efficient in its use of resources. The society we want to rebuild in the aftermath of the pandemic must prioritize the promotion and protection of human dignity, in all of its forms, without distinction, without exclusion. To this end, Italy will continue to place at the center of its foreign policy action the protection of inalienable human rights in every international forum, starting with the mandate it is currently fulfilling — as tangible proof of our active commitment — in the Human Rights Council. Our distinctive initiatives in this field are traditionally directed toward abolishing capital punishment.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Our partnership with the United Kingdom in organizing the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will reaffirm Italy’s role in this sphere. We will be particularly focused on increasing youth involvement in the debate on fighting climate change: the building of their world, the world of tomorrow, begins today. For this reason, we will be organizing — in the framework of the CoP26 — next year’s “Youth4 Climate” in Italy. We wish to give a voice to youths and their proposals, understand their needs, build on the call that echoed in the past year throughout city squares across the globe. It is not simply about inclusivity and intergenerational justice — principles, which are, among others, enshrined in the Paris Agreement. For us, it is a moral imperative.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We will need to work together so that our renewed ambitions regarding climate change are not disconnected from the promotion of investments and policies for socioeconomic recovery. The European “Green Deal” is now more than ever necessary to win this challenge of the green transition. Safeguarding biodiversity, protecting the oceans, and reversing soil erosion represent essential variables in combating climate change. For this reason, they must all come together as part of the same, shared narrative. The momentous appointments of the “High-level Event on Climate Action” and the “Summit on Biodiversity”, will see us hard at work, at the sidelines of this Ministerial Week, to ensure a sustainable recovery.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We wish to seize opportunities for change by fighting injustice and inequity, because a more equitable and inclusive society is not only more just; it is also more prosperous and, globally, more democratic. Particular attention will be given to the “empowerment” of women, on small and medium enterprises, on precarious workers. Access to digital technology, which for too long has been a source of inequity, should become a driver for inclusive growth, offering opportunities to all. These efforts fall within the two pillars of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement. We will be promoting sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth. The pandemic has opened new horizons for strategies to fight climate change and for environmental protection.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We especially cannot ignore the particular moment in history our global community is living, to which our work in this august Assembly will be added. We firmly believe that the upcoming G20 in Italy can be an opportunity for a collective renewal, a time to solidify that sense of community that every nation nourished in the darkest hours of the pandemic. We can leverage the synergy and brother- and sisterhood necessary to transform the tragedy of what happened into an opportunity for rebirth and regeneration. We can imagine, together, a New Humanism that puts people front and center. Italy’s agenda will focus on: People, Planet and Prosperity. We call them the three Ps.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It will be a time for coordination but also a tangible demonstration of renewed multilateral cohesion, based on the pursuit of collective well-being. A decisive step toward the crucial role of international cooperation, in which we place our strongest hopes. It is in this spirit that Italy now advances an approach inspired by the “ethics of vulnerability”, which calls on all members of the international community to assume their share of collective responsibility for “global public goods”, such as fundamental human rights, health, education, sustainability, social and institutional resilience. Mr President, We are well aware of the responsibility that, with the G20 Presidency, our Country will be vested with to lead global efforts.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The challenge for each and every one of us is to improve who we are: it is the life lesson that the pandemic has written on our agendas. Ignoring it, while turning the page without confronting it, would be an unforgiveable mistake. The European Union understood the scope of the challenge: to rethink our world, make it more sustainable, greener, more digital, more inclusive. The “Next EU Generation”, together with the measures of the European Central Bank, represents a historic opportunity to look to Europe as an indispensable guidepost of our global partnership for a new future. Last week’s announcement by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of a “Global Health Summit” to be held in Italy in 2021 — precisely during Italy’s G20 Presidency — is a testament to our determined commitment to deliver.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Today I am proud not only that Italy, with its scientists, researchers and businesses, has taken on the mantle of some of the most advanced projects on vaccine research. I am particularly proud to say that our contribution and research will be a collective heritage — the vaccine will be made available to all peoples. We cannot afford to look to the future of our Planet and of our children with selfishness, ignoring the fact that healthcare risks becoming a luxury in too many parts of the world. The hope of soon beating this pandemic should not coincide with the wish to return to our old notion of “normal”. We should want more, imagine and reinvent a different world — because our previous reality was not the best possible one; it was perfectible.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This initiative has enabled us to mobilize, in record timing, more than €40 billion as the global response of the European Union to the crisis, in particular, to guarantee equal and universal access to a vaccine, diagnostics and therapeutics. Italy considers these to be global public goods, with the objective of leaving no one behind. We have endeavored in all of the main international fora and settings of world governance for a multilateral response in both the health and economic sectors, in the form of extraordinary measures. The lesson that our national community has learned from this difficult experience is in all of its complexity — one very simple thing: that health is a common, inalienable good, and as such, it must be guaranteed for every woman and every man on the Planet.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Many were the demonstrations of solidarity and assistance and many, I wish to underscore, were the testaments to the strength, resilience and courage of my fellow citizens to whom, even in this General Assembly, I feel a duty to say “thank you” for the extraordinary responsibility you have shown. Our Country has overcome, with determination, the most acute phase of the health emergency, building on the experience gained directly on the ground, on the front line, in hospital corridors and research laboratories. Efforts that we today wish to share in a reinvigorated multilateral system, with the United Nations at its core, to turn into reality the idea of a world fit to tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic. From the very start, we proposed the constitution of an international alliance in the fight against COVID-19.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This tragedy has changed us, but has also offered us the opportunity for a “new beginning” — that is up to us to seize: after these months of suffering, we look each other in the eye differently, calling on a new sense of reciprocity and renewed spirit of solidarity. Italy was the first Country in Europe and in the West to have faced the emergency on a large-scale. Our Country has become the symbol of a collective effort — a human effort, before being a health or political one, later serving to benefit the entire international community. In the most traumatic weeks of the emergency, Italy was able to see first-hand the support and friendship of the world community.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr President, Mr Secretary-General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, 75 years ago, from the ashes of a global conflict that devastated nations and peoples, the birth of the Organization of the United Nations marked a new beginning for world history, founded on the shared values of freedom, peace and democracy. Today we are faced with an equally dramatic reality, albeit caused by different, unprecedented evils. An invisible enemy has upended our lives and consolidated habits. It has caused victims and suffocated the world economy, forcing us to suspend our social relations and limit our freedoms. The COVID-19 pandemic has indiscriminately plagued every region and people of the world, putting humanity, once again, to the test.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Their voice grows louder every day; the duty of leaders is that of listening to their voice and translating it into concrete actions.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In the programme of my Government, we underline the clear goal of pursuing gender equality. We cannot allow the grave injustice of women doing the same work and being paid less than men. We must pool our efforts on the process of the reform of the Security Council, making it more democratic, effective and representative of the entire United Nations membership. In conclusion, there are many challenges that we are called upon to respond to as political deciders. We can be successful if we act with determination, courage and vision and if we do not make the mistake of seeking short-term consensus. We must know how to imagine a future and know how to build it in order to leave it to our children and grandchildren.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Another common goal should be that of lowering tensions in the Gulf region, where there is a high risk of escalation. We believe that it is in the collective interest — not only Italian — to ensure freedom of navigation, considering its major impact on the global economy. The United Nations and the principles that inspired the Charter are the only point of reference today that can lead humankind in responding to the new, more complex challenges that the international community faces. We must all commit to guaranteeing that the Organization can, to the best of its ability, fulfil its mandate. Among the plans for reform, we support with special conviction the Secretary-General’s commitment to the empowerment of women and girls and the achievement of gender equality as instruments for strengthening the effectiveness of the Organization.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“They have weight — great weight. Italy also intends to relaunch national and European action in the Western Balkans, consistent with a traditional role played in favour of the stabilization of the region. There are new, growing threats to international security that demand a multilateral commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation. Italy promotes universal adherence to and full implementation of the nuclear, biological and chemical non-proliferation regimes. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran continues to represent a key element of the global non-proliferation architecture. We appeal to Iran therefore to return to full compliance with its obligations under the JCPOA. It is in the interest of the entire international community that this happen, also by keeping open the necessary channels of dialogue with Tehran.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“At the same time, we cannot forget the strategic importance of the Horn of Africa, where we have a new process of change that we must support. It is very important to note the reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea in the promising birth of a transitional Government with civilian leadership in the Sudan. As a founding member of the European Union and NATO, Italy is following with concern the gradual splintering of the instruments that for decades have contributed to strategic stability in Europe and the world. We have had various successes, but we must also pursue the fight against terrorism. We will work towards spreading a culture of respect for institutions and the other opinions, adopting all the instruments necessary to prevent the spread of hatred, and through words, which are not lost in a general commotion.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Italy is aware of the other challenges on the African continent. We wish to play a high-profile role at the bilateral level. That is also why the many visits I have made to Africa in recent months confirm our attention to that part of the world, with which we intend to foster greater involvement of the European Union. Aware of the importance of coordinated action between Europe and Africa, we would like to create a new partnership based upon equality. We are engaged in a pilot project to promote the social and economic development of the country, which will involve various European countries and an excellent Italian agency in the energy sector. Italy’s focus on the Mediterranean entails, obviously, a strong commitment to addressing the crisis in the Sahel.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“A lasting solution will also entail a reasonable compromise that can guarantee the equitable distribution and use of the riches of Libya to the benefit of the whole Libyan nation. Following the Palermo Conference, Italy has continued to push for cohesive action from the international community. That is the direction of the initiatives we are developing, together with France, Germany and other partners, in preparation for an international conference on Libya we will be hosting. I wish to express Italy’s appreciation for the work done on Libya by all the branches of the United Nations and in particular by the organizations that have worked to assist vulnerable migrants and refugees. Nevertheless, on the basis of our knowledge on the ground, I hope that they will have a greater and more incisive presence.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“For the international community, the moment has come to renew its commitment to a peaceful, united, independent and democratic Libya. We must all act in support of the United Nations Support Mission and the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya Ghassan Salame. Reaching a credible ceasefire is only a first urgent and necessary step to restart an inclusive political dialogue among all the Libyan parties — the only instrument for achieving a lasting solution. That is why it is crucial that all the States Members of the United Nations conform to the obligation to respect and implement the arms embargo on Libya, thereby preventing a future escalation of the conflict.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I am pleased to recall a totally Italian initiative, conceived in a small village in Tuscany called Rondine. But for more than 30 years, hundreds of young people who come from countries in conflict have been invited to live together and experience daily, facts-based dialogue bringing a message of peace day after day — a message, in the greater Mediterranean above all, that we support the need to work on political solutions. One of Italy’s strategic priorities is its major contribution to United Nations stabilization efforts to ensure conditions favourable to the development of a region to which our own security and prosperity are closely tied. Almost nine years since the fall of Muammar Al-Qaddafi, the Libyan nation has still not been able to live in peace and prosperity.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As a member of the Human Rights Council for the three-year period from 2019 to 2021, Italy will work for the Council inspired by the motto “human rights for peace”. We proudly contribute to United Nations peacekeeping by providing our best forces and technology. Conflict and crisis prevention should be the political priority of every one of us, especially of the United Nations, which was created expressly to save future generations from the scourge of war. At the first signs of a crisis, we must make more systematic use of the instruments for the peaceful settlement of disputes at our disposal, starting with mediation, and involve all segments of society, including women and young people. We also promote mediation initiatives through our support for the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, which we launched in 2017.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Italy has never failed to do its part. We continue to be involved in resettlement programmes, humanitarian corridors and emergency evacuations, but Italy is no longer alone. Europe has finally seized the opportunity to do its part without being further urged to do so. Italy is taking determined and decisive action at the international level to promote human rights, based on the principles of universality, indivisibility and interdependence of fundamental rights and freedoms, which must be recognized and guaranteed for all individuals without distinction or compromise. I very much appreciated the initiative promoted yesterday by President Trump on religious freedom — an issue to which Italy has always been deeply committed (see A/74/PV.3).”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“With regard to national sovereignty, the phenomenon requires the sharing of burdens and responsibilities among all countries, whether they be countries of origin, transit or destination. We are coming closer to meeting that goal today through the implementation of an automatic mechanism for redistributing migrants among the various European countries. We are on the verge of reaching a crossroads, moving from an emergency phase in managing the migratory phenomenon to a structural one based on partnership among States. As we all know, migration is the result of deep-rooted causes that require immediate action, together with medium- to long-term perspectives. We must all work to eliminate those root causes. At the same time, we cannot compromise on ensuring a rigorous and effective system for repatriating illegal immigrants.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“A radical change in cultural mindsets must be pursued. That is why we want to include the protection of the environment, biodiversity and sustainable development in the fundamental principles of the Italian Constitution. Doing so means forging a new way of conceiving of the relationship between us and the planet and between us and future generations as the basis of our social pact. It means abandoning the logic of ownership that would have us believe that we have exclusive dominion over the planet, when in fact we have inherited a right to stewardship that we must pass on to future generations. The other great challenge testing the international community’s ability to respond and its solidarity is today’s unprecedented level of migration.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Furthermore, owing to its leadership in the area of renewable energy, Italy is at the forefront in combating climate change. Italy has already met the 2020 emissions-reduction targets set by the European Union and, by the end of next year, we are committed to developing a strategy for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. We will not waver in our support of the Chilean presidency of the twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We are particularly pleased with our partnership with the United Kingdom in preparations for the twenty-sixth Conference, the preparatory meeting of which Italy will host, as well as other important events, including one that is dedicated to young people. We are aware, however, that everything I mentioned is not enough and cannot be enough.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have learned only recently through press reports that a glacier on the Italian side of Mont Blanc — the highest and most majestic peak in the Alps — is in danger of collapse. That alarming news cannot leave us indifferent or able to entertain the illusion that it does not concern us or that it is far off in time or space. Rather, it should shake all of us to our core and move us to take action. That is why we will continue to encourage citizens, in particular young people, to act, as I did when I met with some of them in Rome in March. We recognize the disproportionate impact that climate change will have on future generations. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change is a crucial starting point, but we must remain cognizant of our moral and political duty to pass the planet on to our children in the best possible condition.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Italy is deeply committed to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. We are expressing our commitment in the private sector, through our major corporations, and in our civil society, which has a strong sense of tradition, awareness, capacity for action and proactive stance on these issues. One of the priorities of the recently formed Government is to give life to a green new deal, reorient the entire system of production towards sustainable development and encourage socially responsible behaviour on the part of all economic stakeholders. With regard to the phenomenon of climate change, we fully agree with the urgent need for global action to respond to the challenge, as voiced yesterday at the Climate Action Summit.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We in Italy have begun a new period of reforms, which seeks to build a sustainable future for all those who will come after us. It is a project that focuses on solutions that will improve the lives of citizens and respond to the urgent needs of our society. It is a path strengthened by measures for social inclusion and equality that we have already adopted and which we will carry forward and implement with the utmost determination. Turning to the international stage, our strategy for tackling the root causes of destabilization must be ambitious. Four years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we now need to accelerate and intensify the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, while focusing on the most effective medium- and long-term policies.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Without such a foundation multilateralism becomes a mere tool, which undoubtedly can be useful but cannot be expected to guide the making of solid choices based on values. That humanism is the distinctive feature of the Government over which I preside. Our objective is to foster a genuine human democracy. At times, we see our democratic institutions as based solely on the interplay of majorities and minorities. We forget that behind those numbers are human relationships, but if we can keep that fact in mind, then our systems of Government will show a human face and not devolve into authoritarianism. Those are the principles, together with the basic principles enshrined in the Constitution of the Italy, that we embrace as we envision the society of tomorrow.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Inclusive humanism, an expression to which I love to refer, recognizes the equal dignity of every individual and is the true achievement of modernity. Italy invokes and openly supports effective multilateralism because only collective and coordinated action can lay the groundwork for appropriate solutions to the multiple challenges before us. Effective multilateralism must be nourished by a concept of what the international community can contribute based on cooperation, transparency and the principle of equality among States in order to correct the dysfunctional aspects of globalization. But the inspiration, the north star that must guide that multilateralism is respect for the human person, starting with the recognition of personal and social dignity.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In this high-level week, we are confronted with a major challenge, namely, to believe and invest in multilateralism and the irreplaceable role of the United Nations. A few months ago, the Secretary-General used the expression “a world of trouble” to describe the breadth and complexity of the challenges that we are called upon to confront — climate change, armed conflicts, human rights, inequality and trade disputes. Our debate is focused on subjects of great scope, namely, the fight against poverty, quality education as a source of personal and social opportunity and action to protect the environment. The common thread of those topics is inclusion and putting the human person at the heart of the political action of the United Nations and every Member State.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Nevertheless, that path cannot disregard the need for every member of the human family to recognize in the United Nations true global leadership, to which they look with renewed faith.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The long conflict that has roiled Syria for seven years demonstrates all the limits of military solutions. We have the duty to support the action of the United Nations and of Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Staffan De Mistura. Shared responsibility—in the framework of building peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies — is a call that we share and accept as an invitation to change. The same spirit of change characterizes the action of the Government that I lead. But we must also assume that responsibility towards the reform of the Security Council, in which Italy will continue to pursue its deep commitment, in dialogue with all Member States, to achieve the goal of a shared reform. We should all aspire to the path to effective multilateralism.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Italy is a country whose very DNA contains the promotion of dialogue and inclusiveness in crisis situations. Those principles are essential when addressing the grave and widespread situations of instability that today characterize an area that is vital to the security and prosperity of Italy and Europe as a whole, namely, the greater Mediterranean. In the upcoming weeks Italy will host a conference on Libya, the main goal of which will be to support a shared political path and contribute to the country’s political stabilization. That path will foster the broadest possible involvement of Libyan stakeholders, who remain the masters of their destiny. The United Nations will play a central role through the action plan, on which all the contributions of the main international and regional stakeholders will converge.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Those initiatives are inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals inscribed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Poverty, inequality, unemployment and the devastating effects of climate change are ills that concern every country, independently of their level of development. The logic of assistance must give way to a framework of mutual responsibility and partnership, as promoted by Italy — for example, on the African continent — so that each stakeholder can do their part to the best of their possibilities and abilities. Italy is proud to be one of the main contributors to peacekeeping operations, a commitment we have maintained for many years and for which we have received the appreciation, essential to us, that comes first and foremost from the local communities in which we are operating.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“This is a challenge that can, and must, be met through an approach of shared responsibility, in a logic of partnership between the countries of origin, transit and destination of the flows, while taking into account the priority need to guarantee the dignity of the individual, but also the firm determination to fight those who trample on that dignity and on life itself through human trafficking. Italy pursues the goals of international peace and security including during times of budgetary constraints. We are solidly in eighth position as a contributor to the regular budget of the United Nations, and we supplement that commitment through development initiatives, both at the bilateral level and through United Nations agencies.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“For years, Italy has been engaged in search-and-rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea and has saved tens of thousands of people from death, often single-handedly, as has frequently been acknowledged by those who say that Italy has saved the honour of Europe. The migratory phenomena we are facing require short-, medium-, and long-term responses from the entire international community that are structured and multi-level. It is on that basis that we support the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Security, the defence of peace and the values that best preserve it, as well as the promotion of development and human rights, are goals that we share and shall continue to pursue with courage and conviction at the national and international levels. On the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Italy expresses that will through its candidature to the Human Rights Council. Respect for the inviolable rights of humankind is one of the pillars on which the Italian Republic is founded — our beacon, especially today, when we are called upon to address the immense challenges of the grave and prolonged crises in the Euro-Mediterranean area, including migratory flows.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The Italian Government has made those same priorities the basis of its action. Government action that does not give due consideration to ensuring that all of its citizens have equitable and fully dignified living conditions is not action that I can consider morally, much less politically, acceptable. When some accuse us of souverainism or populism, I always enjoy pointing out that article 1 of the Italian Constitution cites sovereignty and the people. It is precisely through that provision that I interpret the concept of sovereignty and the exercise of sovereignty by the people. That approach does not modify the traditional position of Italy within the international community and, consequently, towards the United Nations.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I am honoured to take the floor today before the General Assembly, as the spokesperson for the will of the Government and the people, to confirm our commitment alongside, and in favour of, the United Nations. The international community needs a truly effective multilateralism and a United Nations that is strengthened in its role as a pillar of an international system based on peace, justice and equity. We therefore continue to support the reform plan of the Secretary-General, now more so than ever in the delicate implementation process that awaits him. We want a United Nations that is closer to the people, that is able to respond to their security and well-being needs and that is ready to protect them from the pitfalls of globalization, which offers many opportunities but can also produce errant effects.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)