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General Assembly – Third Committee, Virtual informal Meeting

Statement by the Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, at the Virtual informal meeting of Third Committee – Interactive Dialogue with OHCHR High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet —

Thank you Madam Chair.

I align myself to the statement delivered to be delivered by the European Union.

First of all, Madam High Commissioner, I really want to thank you for the crucial contribution that you gave to the High Level Event we organized on the gendered impact of the death penalty during the High Level Week, together with the Gambia, the European Union, and Amnesty International, in cooperation with your office and UN Women. Your keynote allowed to highlight some crucial aspects, that are all the more relevant as we celebrate important anniversaries for women’s rights this year. Italy is a long-standing supporter of the abolition of the death penalty: it is a traditional and distinctive priority for us, dating back to the first abolition ever of the capital punishement, in 1786, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Madame High Commissioner, Italy staunchly supports your work and your mandate, as well as the Treaty Body System, and we will follow its review process very closely.

Madame High Commissioner, thank you very much for your opening remarks today and as you said recovery better can only be possible if we starts from human rights.

As my Prime Minister said during the last High Level Debate, the global society we need to rebuild after this pandemic will have to be centered on the promotion and the protection of human dignity in all its forms, giving special attention to women’s rights and the advancement of the women agenda.

Madame High Commissioner, Italy will ensure from the 1st of December of this year for the all 2021 the Presidency of G20. We are very conscious of the special responsibility we have in this very particular moment and we have put People, Prosperity and the Planet at the core of our Presidency.

We will touch on many issues that have to do with human rights, the protection of the environment, food security and nutrition, women empowerment, the digital divide but also how to use technology to support human rights.

My question is, for you Madame High Commissioner, if you have a special message for Italy and G20 to give, we are here to listen to you, we want human rights to be at the core.

Thank you very much.