WATCH THE VIDEO MESSAGE : Ambassador Massari on the occasion of the Italian National Day
*Courtesy Translation from the Italian language to English
Today, June 2, on the anniversary of our Republic, I extend my warmest wishes to the Italian men and women who in any capacity work at the United Nations and who through their engagement keep the principles of multilateralism alive. I am thinking of the women and men who serve as officers at the UN here in New York and around the world, the peacekeepers, JPOs, journalists, volunteers and more.
More than a year after Russia’s unwarranted aggression against Ukraine, multilateralism centered on the UN Charter is increasingly under siege.
It is not only the states that are paying the price – and in particular the most fragile ones, especially due to the food insecurity triggered in Africa by the war in Ukraine – but also all the citizens affected, especially the most vulnerable, women and children.
The international situation of the past year has seen conflicts escalating in multiple regions of the world and the rise of new ones, in a context of growing fragmentation and polarization.
Add to this already dramatic situation the increasingly consequential impact of climate change and of the cascading natural disasters, which for many countries is an existential threat, and I am referring in particular to island states.
The consequences are visible in rising poverty, malnutrition, widening economic and social inequalities, growing migration flows, but also in the increased risk of terrorism and of the nuclear threat.
These challenges, which by their nature are global, can only be addressed through cooperation and multilateralism.
Our common roadmap and compass to find a shared solution to these challenges is the United Nations Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year marks the midterm through the 2030 deadline, yet only 12% of the indicators are in line with the objectives set. An acceleration is still possible and Italy is making an important contribution: we will host the UN Summit on Food Systems in Rome from 24 to 26 July, from which we expect important results ahead of the SDG Summit in September in New York.
In this multilateral effort, Italy feels and believes it act as a bridge between the Global North and the Global South.
Italy and the European Union are and must remain at the forefront of the United Nations’ action, by investing to preserve the international order, safeguard the principles of the UN Charter, and to defend their own interests and democratic values.
