YouSaid · the spoken record

Lamberto Dini

lines on the record: 90
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 2000-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“In the ensuing years, we have indeed witnessed rapid growth in the world economy, but we have also seen an outbreak of new forms of nationalism, ethnic hostilities and acts of aggression. Our peoples have grown apprehensive about the future as they watch the performance of the stock market, internal instability in various regions of the world, the failure of financial institutions, the rise and unpredictability of terrorism, unchecked waves of immigration, the constant flow of refugees and the resurgence of misplaced nuclear ambitions. In some countries, a few short months of crisis was all it took to wipe out the gains of an entire generation. Such crises shed light on an improper balance between the power of the market and the power of institutions. Globalization and liberalization certainly have great merits.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly, a sure guarantee of the success of the fifty-third session. At the same time, I wish to thank your predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, for his fine job in handling the difficult issues that arose last year. On the broader issues facing the General Assembly in the year to come, Italy associates itself with and supports the statement made on Tuesday by the Foreign Minister of Austria on behalf of the European Union. Fewer than 10 years have gone by since the euphoric days that surrounded the fall of the Berlin Wall. As our decade began, “a new world order” was on everyone’s lips. Many believed that we were at the threshold of a new age of stability, freedom and prosperity.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“History will not be lenient with us if we fail.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In a longer-term perspective, I would like to add that a fact-finding inquiry recently conducted by the Italian Parliament envisaged a permanent seat on the Security Council for the European Union, as a natural evolution of its common foreign and security policy. Almost 55 years ago, on November 13 1942, President Roosevelt said that the future of the United Nations association “should not be restricted to the 28 signatories of the Atlantic Charter, but should be one which all nations could join.” President Roosevelt believed that the purpose of the United Nations should not be the defence of the status quo and that its strength did not lie in sheer numbers, but in the way that Member States engaged in collective deliberations and action. This vision should guide our pursuit of a more promising future for all the people of this world.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Indeed, every aspect of Security Council reform should be addressed at the same time and in the same context. Before determining the future size of the Council and the names of new members, we must define the criteria that should govern the reform. Ad hoc approaches will not work. Ultimately, no solution can be adopted unless there is broad consensus. And a lasting and equitable outcome cannot be reached through hasty and partial solutions. Forcing the issue would deepen divisions and jeopardize the larger and more urgent question before the General Assembly: approving the Secretary-General's reform package.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Such stratification of membership, reminiscent of the caste system in ancient empires, would defy the fundamental principles of logic and democracy, and marginalize some of the countries most active in the Organization. How could any of us accept relegation to the last of these categories and go back to our people and Parliaments and tell them that we actually voted in favour of our country's demotion to fourth-class status? Let me stress that this type of problem would not be generated by the Italian proposal, which calls for an increase only in non-permanent members, to be democratically elected by the General Assembly. Another aspect of reform is the question of the veto. This cannot and should not be discussed independently of the issue of enlarging the Council. The two issues are inseparable.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“While we are prepared to look constructively at other proposals, we must guard against those advocating a system that would divide Member States into four categories: first-class countries — the five current permanent members of the Security Council, with veto power; second-class countries — the new permanent members from industrialized nations, without veto power; third-class countries — “pseudo-permanent” rotating members, without veto power, from developing nations in different regions; and fourth-class countries — the overwhelming majority of United Nations Member States, with fewer chances than ever of serving on the Security Council.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“However, let there be no confusion about our support for a review of the scale of assessments. There can be absolutely no link between Members' contributions and Security Council reform, lest the impression be created that permanent seats are up for sale. This brings me to the reform of the Security Council. There is broad agreement that reform is needed to bring the Council more in line with the new realities of the world in which we live. The reform must be inspired by the principles of democracy, equitable geographical representation and transparency. These are the very principles guiding the proposal presented by Italy.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The reform of the Organization is a question of the highest priority for the current session of the General Assembly, as the Secretary-General himself has underlined. In the coming months, two other major subjects also command our attention: the financial situation of the Organization, and the structure and composition of the Security Council. To function properly, the Organization has to be able to rely on adequate resources. Assessed contributions must be paid in full, on time and without conditions by 16 Member States. Italy, for its part, has always complied with this fundamental rule. Nevertheless, we believe that the time has come to agree on a realistic new scale of assessments, based on Member States' capacity to pay and making the Organization less dependent on the contributions of a single country.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“To achieve this goal, our efforts should be complemented by the continuing involvement of the Conference on Disarmament. Two months ago, Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented a package of ground-breaking proposals to improve the effectiveness of the Organization and enhance its ability to meet the new challenges. Those proposals deserve our full support. One important goal of the Secretary General's reform plan is to energize the strategic direction provided by the General Assembly. To this end, we need to streamline the agenda and identify priorities for consideration in the short- and medium-term. Since the time available for plenary debates is limited, we should focus on matters of general interest.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“New standards of security can be produced only through international cooperation under the leadership of the United Nations. Italy has some of the world's strictest and most advanced legislation on the export of arms. I am proud to report that this past June the Italian Government unilaterally decided to renounce the production, export, stockpiling and use of anti-personnel landmines, and enabling legislation to this effect has already been passed by one branch of our Parliament. But the full value of this commitment can only be realized if it is shared by all countries, whether or not they are parties to the Ottawa process. The recent Oslo conference, to be sure, made remarkable accomplishments, but they are not yet universal.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“For over half a century, the United Nations has been seeking to establish a permanent international criminal court to prosecute and punish genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, wherever and by whomever they are committed. This is a test of our collective responsibility, made even more pressing by the terrible massacres that have characterized recent ethnic conflicts, and Italy confirms its strong support, pledges its active contribution to this endeavour, and is prepared to host in Rome the diplomatic conference to adopt the statute for the international criminal court. A second major challenge is arms control. Before dealing with the security requirements of tomorrow, we must stop living by the fears of yesterday.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In short, it helped put the country back on its feet. One of the keys to its success was an innovative approach to peacekeeping, involving the rapid planning and deployment of the Force, and close coordination among the participating countries and the host country, under the constant monitoring of the United Nations. To consolidate the gains that have been made and lay the foundations for Albania's growth and prosperity, the next step is to rehabilitate the State institutions and economy. With this in mind, the Italian Government has convened a ministerial conference for October, in Rome, with the participation of the Albanian Government and all the relevant international organizations to assess needs and decide on a common course of action.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“To help the Organization respond to crises where and when they arise, Italy recently became the sixth country to formalize its participation in standby arrangements for United Nations peacekeeping operations. President Clinton said in his speech on Monday that the first task of the United Nations must remain the pursuit of peace and security. When a situation of serious instability developed in Albania last March, the Security Council — with the full support of the Secretary- General — acted promptly, authorizing a coalition of the countries, led by Italy, willing to form a Multinational Protection Force. During the four months of its mandate, Operation Alba enabled the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance, created a secure environment for the missions of international organizations, and made democratic elections possible.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“15 At the opening of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly there was unanimous consensus on the need for a far-reaching reform of the United Nations system. In my address I stated that if the United Nations was to respond effectively to the growing concerns that had emerged, reform could no longer be postponed. The international community requires higher standards of security, development and democracy, and it needs them now. On that occasion, I listed 10 specific proposals to make United Nations peacekeeping operations more effective, and I am glad to see that progress has been made on some of them. Procedures for periodic meetings between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries have been consolidated.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We can join forces to eradicate poverty, which is a major cause of social injustice and political turmoil in the world, and guarantee dignity, respect and better living standards for every human being. The goals of a new world order, founded on mutual trust and the rejection of the threat and use of force, are peace, security, sustainable development and respect for the fundamental freedoms of the individual. But these values cannot be dictated by an elite group of States. The future of humankind is the responsibility of the international community as a whole. As the United Nations prepares to meet the challenges of the third millennium, the General Assembly has a role of paramount importance to play.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Meanwhile, the system engineered with such foresight by the founding Members amidst the horrors of the most devastating war the world has ever seen has maintained and increased its significance. We no longer live in a world of purely national interests. More and more, policy-making is informed by global concerns such as human rights, solidarity and social justice. At the threshold of the twenty-first century, let us pledge to settle religious and ethnic conflicts through dialogue, tolerance and cultural exchange, and to find collective answers to international terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and the degradation of the environment.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I warmly congratulate Minister Udovenko on his election to the helm of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. His profound experience in international affairs is the best guarantee for the success of his mandate. Allow me also to thank his predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail, who led the fifty- first session of the General Assembly with great distinction. On all the broad issues confronting the General Assembly, Italy supports the statement made on Tuesday by the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg on behalf of the European Union. Today we have a historic opportunity to connect principles and reality, give life to our ideals and shape this Organization for decades to come. The ideologies that divided humankind in this century have crumbled.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The role that United Nations Member States intend to play in pursuing the objectives of the Charter cannot be independent of their specific responsibility to honour their financial obligations. We firmly reiterate the validity of the specific proposal for financial reform presented by the European Union under Italy’s presidency during the first half of this year. A formidable task awaits us: to adapt our Organization to the needs and the challenges of the twenty-first century. Italy is prepared to spare no effort in the pursuit of our common goals.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We believe that the cause of peace can only profit from the establishment of an international criminal court on violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity. Italy is committed to this goal and is ready to host a diplomatic conference in 1998 to sanction the birth of such a court. Italy is also promoting a campaign for a worldwide moratorium on the application of the death penalty. The European Union has constantly emphasized that financial reform is essential to any modernizing of the United Nations structure, and we share the ideas expressed on this subject by the Irish presidency. We are convinced that financial reform is a prerequisite to the United Nations maintaining its crucial function in international relations.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In the field of conventional weapons, an important agreement was reached in Florence last June on arms control in the former Yugoslavia. Our next goal should be a cut-off in the production of fissile material for military purposes. The Italian Government pledges to renounce once and for all the production and export of anti-personnel land-mines. We will also initiate the destruction of existing devices and promote further restrictions in the hope that such measures will contribute to reaching a solid international understanding and a definitive ban. To this end, we propose the prompt opening of international negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. The fundamental role of law in the creation of a new world order must be upheld. National sovereignty has nothing to fear from the consolidation of international law.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The Ministerial Meeting in Singapore is an excellent opportunity to focus on these issues, consolidating the process of trade liberalization sanctioned by the Uruguay Round and strengthening the regulatory role of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Italy is actively participating in the preparation of the 1997 special session of the United Nations General Assembly dedicated to the environment. While keeping in mind the results of the Rio Conference and foreseeable future scenarios for sustainable development, that session should update the instruments for action and continue to strive for implementation of Agenda 21. In 1996 significant achievements have been made in the field of disarmament. A major step on the road to nuclear disarmament has of course been taken with the signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“This summit will provide an opportunity to define new strategic objectives for international action in the field of food security in order to overcome structural shortages, especially in the nutrition sector, in many regions of our planet. In preparation, Italy is promoting a joint development initiative for Angola with the three agricultural agencies whose headquarters are in Rome. The process of economic globalization and the growing interdependence of markets offer enormous economic and social growth possibilities. From this perspective, the concept of global partnership provides for an equitable sharing of responsibilities.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The adoption of resolution 50/227 is a significant step forward, especially where it refers to strengthening the role of the Economic and Social Council. Special attention should be paid to the operative follow-up to this resolution. The identification of priorities by the United Nations, in accordance with changes in international reality, is essential to achieving greater efficiency to serve the best interests of the beneficiary countries, as well as those of the United Nations itself. During the last five years the United Nations has sponsored a series of global conferences to address systematically the key issues facing humanity today. The upcoming World Food Summit, which will take place in Rome from November 13-17 of this year, will close this important cycle.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Italy appreciates the importance of both prevention and post-conflict reconstruction, and is determined to strengthen its collaboration with the United Nations specialized agencies. With this in mind Italy has chosen the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the main points of reference for the reconstruction of the city of Mostar. Collaboration with the cultural agency of the United Nations will also prove valuable in other areas of the former Yugoslavia on projects to reconstruct prestigious landmarks such as the Sarajevo library and historic buildings in Ragusa/ 6 Dubrovnik. The reform process also concerns the economic and social fields of the United Nations.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The United Nations is a global system, and it pursues global objectives. Conflict prevention and the promotion of peaceful solutions to controversies cannot be pursued solely at the political and military level. The conditions for peace are found, perhaps primarily, in the economic, social and cultural development of peoples. Poverty, underdevelopment, and cultural isolation disrupt relations between countries and thus constitute threats to international peace. Through its funds, programmes, and specialized agencies, the United Nations plays a vital role in preventing these obstacles from jeopardizing peaceful coexistence. It helps restore the conditions for orderly global development after disruptions caused by internal and international conflicts.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“A good example of this is the success of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in fulfilling the mandate it was given by the United Nations in the former Yugoslavia, where the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has also played an increasing and important role. Italy hopes for growing dialogue between the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations, and a strengthening of the peace-keeping capabilities of African countries. The OAU must be concretely helped to enhance its mechanism for conflict prevention and crisis management. In line with Italy’s traditional support for democratic development, we are planning a broad series of initiatives in Africa aimed at supporting parliamentary activities and strengthening judicial structures and training.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Another essential component of peace-keeping is humanitarian assistance during and immediately after a conflict. Between the management of a conflict and post- conflict peace-building there is a gap. To fill just such a gap in Central America, Italy designed and funded the Development Progress for Displaced Persons, Refugees and Returnees (PRODERE) programme, which contributed substantially to the process of reconciliation. A model effort of the same type is now under way in Mozambique. Closer coordination with regional organizations could help provide the United Nations with the human and material resources it needs. Without detracting from the United Nations central role, certain peace-keeping and peace-enforcement operations should be entrusted to regional organizations or coalitions.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Already, we have made available the first United Nations logistic base in Brindisi, which should be further expanded to ensure efficient resource management for peace-keeping operations and we suggest a separate allocation in peace-keeping budgets for the creation of logistic bases. The training of peace-keeping personnel is the duty of the United Nations Staff College in Turin, which was created on the Secretary-General’s initiative. The College is receiving the maximum support of the Italian Government and will hopefully receive the support of other Member States as well. Financing of peace-keeping operations could be improved through a peace-keeping surcharge for new, frequently rotating Security Council members, as Italy has proposed. This would distribute the burden of the surcharge to a larger number of countries.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The United Nations must be ready to deal with conflicts where and when they break out, and to this end, it must be able to count on readily available military forces, as provided for by Article 43 of the Charter of the United Nations. We would also support the establishment, as suggested by Canada, of a headquarters module for peace- keeping at the United Nations Secretariat, whose composition should respect the principle of equitable geographical representation. Italy intends to promote specific proposals to expand logistical support, on the strength of its experience with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) and the Implementation Force (IFOR).”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“To go into these points more at length, first of all we are glad that the Security Council, as suggested by Italy and other countries, has made it a regular practice to 5 hold consultations with troop-contributing countries before adopting decisions on peace-keeping operations. The next step is a formal mechanism that guarantees the participation of troop-contributing countries in the decision-making process. In this connection, Italy will lend its full support to the proposal put forward by the Prime Minister of Norway, Mrs. Brundtland, for an annual seminar to focus on the three M’s of peace-keeping: Mission, Mandate and Means.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“To make United Nations actions more effective in this field, Italy proposes the following 10 concrete measures which would be designed to: involve troop- contributing countries in the decision-making process; conduct annual reviews of the mission, mandate, and means of peace-keeping operations; have readily deployable military forces available as soon as Security Council decisions are made; create a reliable and unified command structure for peace-keeping operations; expand logistical support for peace-keeping operations; prioritize training programmes for peace-keeping personnel; improve the financing of peace-keeping operations; fill the gap between peace-keeping and post-conflict peace- building; entrust certain peace-keeping operations to regional organizations; and, finally, enhance cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU).”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Italy believes that in confronting these tasks every Member State should responsibly consider making, and be prepared to make, larger and more qualified military contingents available to the United Nations. Italy is capable of doing its part, as demonstrated in Mozambique and in Bosnia.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Italy considers its proposal a balanced way of reconciling the new international realities, namely the emergence of countries with notable political and economic capacities — and I include Italy among them — and the rise in developing countries, a full 132 of which are Member States of the United Nations today. However, we are willing to discuss and adhere to a formula that is not inconsistent with the fundamental principles that govern our own proposal. A new generation of peace-keeping has begun. From its original role as a force of interposition, peace-keeping has gradually taken on the broader tasks of pacification, support for the process of national reconciliation, and today the protection of populations threatened by inter- ethnic conflicts.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In fact, it would be up to the General Assembly to decide, on the basis of objective criteria, which countries could rotate more frequently. It would be up to the General Assembly to elect these countries, by a two-thirds majority and by secret ballot, in a truly democratic way. And it would be up to the General Assembly periodically to review the countries in question. The Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council has found it difficult to reach a consensus.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Last April, in his address before the General Assembly, the President of the Republic of Italy, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, warned that stressing the elitist nature of the Council “could widen the gap and thus reduce the interest of the excluded, demeaning their political commitment in the process and perhaps marginalizing them and giving them the dangerous feeling that they are token presences, mere spectators.” (Official Records of the General Assembly, Fiftieth Session, Plenary Meetings, 103rd meeting, p. 3-4) Our goal instead must be to stimulate a greater involvement of all countries, large and small, through a rotation mechanism. The Italian proposal would maintain a central role for the General Assembly.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In this context, Italy proposes that the three economic and social departments of the United Nations Secretariat should be merged into a single entity under the leadership of a Deputy Secretary-General, who would also act as the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Council. Italy is actively committed to Security Council reform and has presented a detailed proposal inspired by the fundamental principles of democracy, equitable geographical representation, efficiency and transparency. Reform should not lead to the establishment of new regimes of privilege, which would diminish rather than increase equitable representation on the Council.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The Italian delegation to the General Assembly, for example, includes representatives of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of our Parliament, which helps our political forces to have a fuller appreciation for the role and activities of the United Nations. We hope that this practice, which is also followed by certain other countries, becomes more widespread and consolidated. The General Assembly’s subsidiary bodies should be simplified, merging some committees while streamlining the agenda. Greater transparency is needed in relations between the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Secretariat. At the same time, we believe that the Secretariat should be restructured, so as to organize resources and functions around two focal points: on the one hand, peace and security; and on the other, democracy and development.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Italy shares and fully supports the statement made before the General Assembly on Tuesday by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ireland on behalf of the European Union. At the special commemorative meeting for the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, there was a solemn reaffirmation of the need for the United Nations to implement significant changes to keep step with the new global realities. Italy believes that the time has come to translate ideas into urgently needed reforms. Let me briefly address them. The General Assembly is the most representative expression of the values of our Organization. Therefore, we believe that the General Assembly must increasingly reflect the opinions of our peoples and become more democratic through direct links to the institutional realities 4 of its Member States.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“On behalf of Italy, I am pleased to express to you, Sir, my warmest congratulations on your election to the presidency of this session of the General Assembly. Your extensive and widely recognized knowledge and experience of the activities and functions of the United Nations is the best guarantee of your success. At the same time, allow me to sincerely thank your predecessor, Professor Diogo Freitas do Amaral of Portugal, who so ably led the historic fiftieth session of the General Assembly. In addition, I should like to express our great appreciation for the inspiring role and constructive leadership of the United Nations provided by Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)