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UNGA78 – Statement by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani at 2023 SDG Summit – UN General Assembly High Level Week

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Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Italy is at the forefront of the effort of the International Community to achieve sustainable development goals.

The challenge today is in Africa. Political and economic instability, climate change, food insecurity, health crises. These factors of crisis, together, have set in motion an arc of instability that goes from the Gulf of Guinea to the Gulf of Aden.

Our challenge is enormous. The situation is not about to explode; it has already exploded.

First let me be very clear. The migration issue is beyond control. The consequences of instability in so many countries is creating a flood of migrants from the Sahel region, West Africa and East Africa. Individual States or regions cannot address these challenges alone.

Por eso, debemos abordar en seguidad las raíces del problema de la migración para solucionalo, incluso a través la colaboración en la seguridad alimentaria. En julio, Italia acogió en Roma, en colaboración con las Naciones Unidas, la Cumbre de Seguridad Alimentaria. El Gobierno italiano pide soluciones globales y estratégicas para abordarlos.

Une chose est claire: nous devons écouter l’Afrique. Nous devons regarder l’Afrique à travers lunettes africaines, pas des lunette européennes, pas des lunettes italiennes. En juillet, l’Italie a accueilli à Rome la Conférence internationale sur le développement et la migration. Nous avons lancé le Processus de Rome dans le but de faire face aux causes profondes de la migration qui sont étroitement liées aux défis globales dont on parle aujourd’hui. Notre engagement envers les objectifs de développement durable ne peut pas réussir si nous ne luttons pas sérieusement contre les trafiquants d’êtres humains qui volent l’avenir de dizaines de milliers de jeunes Africains chaque jour. Des marchands de la mort qui ont transformé la Méditerranée en un cimetière où l’avenir de l’Afrique meurt.

We need a new global plan from the United Nations. We need a greater commitment from all partners so that the UN must be the center, the engine of this endeavor. Only by winning first the fight against the merchants of death, we can hope to achieve our goal for a truly sustainable development.

The Italian Presidency of the G7 in 2024 will be inclusive. Focus will be creating the conditions for greater collaboration with all our global partners.

You can count on Italy.