Thank you Mr. President.
Mr. President,
Italy aligns itself to the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union. I would like to add a few remarks in my national capacity on some specific questions.
Italy fully shares the logic and purpose of the Chilean Presidency’s initiative regarding an open debate of the Security Council on Inclusive Development and its centrality in maintaining international peace and security. As highlighted in the concept note, only a holistic approach toward issues of peace, the safeguarding of human rights and economic development, can make the vision of the founders of this Organization a reality, that is, a world without war. It is highly significant that this debate takes place on the eve of the launch of the intergovernmental process determining the post 2015 agenda on sustainable development.
Our moral imperative is to promote inclusive societies, which in itself is a strategic investment in terms of enhanced security, greater economic development, and stronger institutions.
In this spirit, inclusive development has become a constant in Italy’s action, in its cooperative programmes, since its launch of pioneering initiatives, such as the PRODERE Programme in Central America in the ’90s: a multi-disciplinary development program for refugees, displaced persons and returnees in six Central American countries, assisting 700 thousand people.
In light of our development cooperation experience, and in full alignment with the action taken to date to prepare the post-2015 development agenda, we are particularly pleased to find the concept of inclusion across the board in all of the objectives highlighted in the Outcome Document of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr. President,
Minorities today are among the most vulnerable against the many crises at hand, often based on religious, ethnic and social factors. Precisely individuals belonging to minority groups are among the main victims of violence. Their civil and political vulnerabilities are worsened in many situations by economic and social disparities, which are a particular impediment to ensuring the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights to every citizen. An answer to this double challenge can be the inclusion of minorities in decision-making processes.
Italy has long been supporting the early warning mechanisms of the United Nations aimed to offer a timely detection of risks of mass atrocities. Italy has supported the updating of the “Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes”, drafted by the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and of the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, Jennifer Welsh, launched in December 2014 in New York.
A field in which Italy is very active is that of professional training of officials from “law enforcement bodies” of countries in transition. Among these are training courses for Afghan government officers and attaches, ongoing since 2010, offering theory and practical applications of international humanitarian and human rights law, with a particular focus on the more vulnerable groups. The programmes of the Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU), launched in 2005 in Vicenza and directed by the Italian Carabinieri for instructors of specialized police units maintain in all of their modules the protection and promotion of human rights, including reference to minorities. CoESPU courses are attended by officials coming mainly from African and Asian countries (approximately 70%).
Mr. President,
What is more is that any discussion on inclusive development must necessarily, in our opinion, focus on gender issues. Since its inception, Italy has supported the adoption and implementation of UNSCR 1325. It is among the countries that adopted a National Action Plan to implement UNSCR 1325 and has taken a number of actions to combat violence against women. Moreover, Italy was the first UN Member State to stress the introduction of the issue of “Women, Peace and Security” also within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review. In this same spirit, we have developed specific projects in relation to the implementation of Resolution 1325 in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Somalia and the Palestinian Autonomous Territories
Mr. President,
It is ultimately essential that we closely follow the connection between crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law for the sake of inclusive development. This is a field in which we believe we must endeavor to find a balance, even at times when security needs and efficacy in responding to crime can be at odds with the principles of the rule of law and separation of powers. This belief is expressed, first and foremost, in the General Assembly resolution on the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, of which Italy was a sponsor and facilitator. The resolution clearly recalls the values tied to the rule of law, understood as respect for international and national legality, and those tied to the respect for human dignity, particularly of the more vulnerable components of society (minors, women, migrants). To this end, in view of the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (to be held in Doha in April 2015), five countries, including Italy, have called for a debate on 24 February 2015, to be chaired by the PGA and centered precisely on the interlinkages between criminal justice, rule of law and development. Another high-level side event on issues linking human rights and rule of law to criminal justice against transnational crime will be organized by Italy and Thailand for the opening days of the Congress.
