DISCORSO PRONUNCIATO DALL’AMBASCIATORE SEBASTIANO CARDI, RAPPRESENTANTE PERMANENTE D’ITALIA PRESSO LE NAZIONI UNITE, AL MEETING DELLA TERZA COMMISSIONE DELLA 69A SESSIONE DELL’ASSEMBLEA GENERALE SU “CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE” (9 ottobre 2014)  

Madam Chairperson,

Thank you.

Italy aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and wishes to make the following remarks in a national capacity.

Italy has always been at the forefront of global efforts to strengthen international cooperation mechanisms to fight organized crime and illicit drug trafficking and promote fair and effective criminal justice system.
Crime in all its forms represents an evolving, multifaceted threat that requires a tenacious, comprehensive approach, and a strong institutional framework implemented worldwide. We need a common, holistic and global response to these scourges, which no State can hope to defeat on its own.

This is why we firmly believe that the UN is the most appropriate context to address these issues. In its different forms and manifestations, crime, as well as drug production and consumption, directly impacts all member States without discrimination. It affects human welfare, state stability, economic growth and social development. Crime and violence are also a key development issue that should not be underestimated.

Since 1991, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice have been the focus of a UN Programme that addresses all forms of crime, especially crime with transnational features and effects. The Programme’s institutional framework has grown since its creation, with an increasing number of organisms and activities. UNODC’s activities have assumed unprecedented importance at both the political and operational levels.

Italy has been strongly committed to these fights for decades. We know through experience the scourge of organized crime and we also know that it can be defeated. This is another reason why Italy has regularly promoted the UN General Assembly resolution on “Strengthening the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in particular its technical cooperation capacity.” The resolution has always received wide support from the membership and been adopted by consensus. In 2013, it was cosponsored by 133 States.

In line with this tradition, in a few days it will be Italy’s honor once again to champion this resolution, in cooperation with all the co-sponsors. Again, we hope that it will gather the broadest support of Member States.

As in the past, our three main objectives are: to build consensus on the fight against transnational organized crime in the broader framework of the United Nations’ policies and actions; to promote the universal implementation of all pertinent United Nations instruments; and to confirm the membership’s support for the technical assistance activities of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.


Madam Chairperson,

As always, Italy is ready to play its role, calling for a joint, inclusive effort by the membership to achieve, together, the challenging yet attainable goal of an effective, comprehensive and interconnected international crime prevention system.

Thank you.