ECOSOC Management Segment
7 June 2023
Item 20: United Nations Research and Training Institutes
Statement by the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations
Madame Chair,
First, I would like to thank the Representatives of UNITAR, UNU and the UN System Staff College for the update on their activities of the past two years, as well as congratulate the Director of UNICRI for her first oral report to the Council about the Institute. I would like to commend all these entities on the initiatives they have taken to adapt their activities to the “new normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic, continuously promoting knowledge management, learning and training across the UN system and beyond.
Italy strongly believes that learning is an indispensable tool for improving the quality and efficiency of the work of the United Nations System. It enables each Organization to tackle complex and global challenges, and better face the ever-faster changes of today’s world.
Italy is proud to host the United Nations System Staff College in Turin, an established center of knowledge, management learning and training. The quality of its courses, the inter-agency vocation and the continued high recommendation rate of its learning products attest to the impressive work done by the Staff College.
During the past two years, the Staff College has greatly expanded its target audience, extending its reach beyond the UN staff to include civil society representatives, civil servants as well as university students – an inclusive approach that reinforces the College mission as a knowledge sharing institution that promotes UN values within and beyond the UN system. The Staff College academic partnerships have also significantly expanded and diversified, underscoring their importance as a strategic domain. The collaboration with academia reinforces the high-quality level of the Staff College programs and facilitates access to advanced educational and training experiences for the UN staff.
Italy believes that continuous and effective learning makes the UN staff more adaptable to a highly competitive and dynamic environment and able to act as a transformative force that can break down silos, create synergies and increase efficiency in the use of human and financial resources.
For all of these reasons, Italy believes that the work carried out by the System Staff College, together with UNITAR, UNU and UNICRI, is commendable and should be continuously supported by Member States, from both operational and financial perspectives. Member States’ support is indeed key to empower these institutions to continue to deliver first-rate learning to the UN staff and partner entities, expand their reach and amplify the impact of the UN system globally.
Finally, I would like to thank the Chair for bringing us the adoption of this Agenda item and to thank all ECOSOC Member States for their support and constructive engagement during the negotiations and look forward to the adoption of all draft resolutions concerning research and training institutes.
Thank you.
RESOLUTION ON THE UNITED NATIONS INTERREGIONAL CRIME AND JUSTICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Statement by the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations
Thank you Madam Chair,
Italy strongly supports UNICRI activities. Our support to UNICRI is an integral part of our endeavor in fighting criminal activities all around the world.
Over the years, Italy has been able to appreciate the Institute’s growing profile in the global context and its universally acknowledged expertise. By offering leading crime analysis programs, tailor-made training opportunities, and high quality technical assistance, the Institute provides crucial support to Member States and national and international Institutions.
Italy would like to highlight the link between UNICRI’s mandate and SDG 16 on the promotion of peace, justice and strong institutions – a reason for which a Conference on SDG 16 was held in Rome last May, as well as in the previous years.
The resolution before us is both a well-deserved sign of recognition for the work of the Institute and an appeal to Member States to take advantage of the technical offerings of UNICRI and support, even financially, the Institute.
Let me conclude by underscoring, once again, how UNICRI has become an invaluable mainstay of research and training in crime prevention and criminal justice for the UN membership and the international community as a whole.
I would also like to thank you, Madam Chair, for bringing us to the adoption of this agenda item and the Executive Director, Ms. Antonia De Meo, for her strong leadership, which – I am sure – will secure a productive and successful mandate.
