New York, 26 gennaio 2026
Your Excellency, Mr. President,
Italy aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and with the statement delivered by Austria on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Rule of Law.
It is an honor for me to address this Council for the first time.
Let me also commend Somalia for assuming the Presidency of the Security Council and convening today’s open debate. We welcome this opportunity to focus on the rule of law in international relations as key ingredient in ensuring peaceful and just relations among nations and peoples.
We thank the distinguished briefers for their instructive contributions, including Judge Yusuf, a formidable representative of the African international legal tradition.
Mr President,
As we gather today, the foundations of the rule of law in international relations are being shaken by unjustified wars of aggression and by blatant disrespect for human rights and international humanitarian law in many parts of the world.
Italy continues to stand firm in defense of the Charter of the United Nations, of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, and of the self-determination and human rights of peoples.
Mr. President,
A multilateral system of peaceful relations among States based on the rule of law requires constant and long-term commitment in five different respects.
Firstly, it requires adherence to international legal obligations, whether deriving from treaties or from customary international law. Compliance with international legal obligations is not a matter of choice. That applies also to the obligations stemming from the Charter of the United Nations, including those of a procedural nature aimed at ensuring the proper functioning of the UN Security Council.
Secondly, situations that may constitute a breach of international law by States, especially when capable of hampering peace and international security, should be adequately addressed. The UN Charter recognizes the primary responsibility of the Security Council in this regard and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that its decisions are properly implemented.
Thirdly, we must redouble our efforts so that the rule of law in societies, including the respect and promotion of fundamental human rights, does not remain a vision, but translates in every-day realities for peoples and citizens. In this respect, we see a crucial role to be played by regional organizations, including the African Union, in promoting inclusive dialogue, community-based engagement, and more effective peaceful transitions, hence preventing the commission of serious crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide, that too often characterize unresolved conflicts.
Fourthly, disputes which may endanger international peace and security must be settled peacefully in accordance with Article 33 of the UN Charter. That includes resorting to international courts and tribunals, when diplomatic solutions have proved elusive, and abiding by their judgments and decisions. In particular, the International Court of Justice plays a critical role in promoting the peaceful settlement of international disputes, and contributes to the development and strengthening of international law as a fundamental condition for stability. Therefore, the cooperation between the ICJ and the Security Council must also be strengthened in accordance with the Charter.
Fifthly and finally, in accordance with the Preamble of the Charter, we must strive to create the conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained. That includes a reform for a more efficient United Nations, including making this very body more democratic, representative, accountable, transparent and effective.
Mr. President,
In 2013 our Heads of State and Government gathered at the UN Headquarters to reaffirm their “solemn commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and justice, and to an international order based on the rule of law”. At a very critical juncture in history, Somalia’s timely initiative reminds us that much remains to be done to implement that vision. And that it is now time to act, if we want to deliver to the future generations a more just world where the rule of law prevails over the law of force.
I thank you.
