Distinguished Chairs
Congratulations on convening this timely debate.
I will stress four points.
First – The route to durable peace is a route of sustainable development that leaves no one behind, grounded in inclusion, human rights and the rule of law.
Both through the UN and at the national level, it is therefore essential:
to invest in people and communities starting with education, promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies;
to deliver on the 2030 Agenda and to defeat global food insecurity;
to integrate a gender perspective in all policies and advance the participation and leadership of women, youth and marginalized groups; Italy boasts a long-standing tradition in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. And we continue to devote significant efforts and resources to promoting women’s participation in peace and international mediation processes;
to align international support with the priorities of people and communities.
Second – Italy believes that investing in people means investing in multilateralism by:
supporting the vision of the New Agenda for Peace grounded in prevention, linking together peace, sustainable development, climate action, and food security;
by revitalizing the mechanisms contained in Chapter VI of the Charter and supporting national capacities for prevention;
by addressing the root causes of tensions and conflicts, building on the role of regional and sub-regional organizations;
strengthening global cooperation among all regions and Member States, giving priority to the needs of the most vulnerable countries and regions, including the devastating effects of climate change and its direct consequences on peace and security;
and by providing peacebuilding with sustainable, adequate, predictable and flexible financing, increasing investments to support climate-resilient peacebuilding and conflict-sensitive adaptation measures, while respecting the national ownership.
Third – Sustainable peace and lasting conflict prevention can be achieved only if peace negotiations – and monitoring – are really inclusive. We must ensure that all segments of the society – starting from women and youth, in line with the WPS and YPS agendas – are able to get their voices heard and contribute to shape the future of the society they live in.
Fourth and final – Investing in people means, above all, preserving the social pact between States and their own communities. Governments and national institutions must be accountable. There are liberties to safeguard, human rights to uphold, gender and youth empowerment to achieve and the rule of law to abide by. Not only domestically, but also internationally. Anytime a Country violates the basic tenets of international law, it becomes itself a driver of conflict and insecurity. The universal commitments enshrined in the UN Charter, including the respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, shall not be questioned.
I thank you.
