Discorso pronunciato dall’Ambasciatore Sebastiano Cardi, Rappresentante Permanente dell’Italia presso le Nazioni Unite, alla riunione del Consiglio di Sicurezza sulla cooperazione tra le Nazioni Unite e le organizzazioni regionali e subregionali in tema di mantenimento della pace e sicurezza internazionale: Unione Europea —
Mr. President,
I would like to thank the Uruguayan Presidency for convening this meeting on the Day of Europe, and of course the High Representative Federica Mogherini for her briefing. As a member of this Council and a founding member of the European Union, we attach great importance to this meeting and to cooperation between the UN and the EU.
Mr. President,
About one month ago we celebrated in Rome the 60th Anniversary of the Rome Treaties, signing a new Declaration that affirms the tangible value and current relevance of the European project. As highlighted by Federica Mogherini, the European Union stands today as a key world player and as a provider of peace and development throughout the world.
In this vein, we are committed to making a constructive contribution to strengthening the European voice at the United Nations and in the Security Council together with European partners. The decision to split our term in the Council with another founding member of the EU, the Netherlands, is shaped by our shared European values.
Mr. President,
We live in a time of interconnected evolving challenges that require transnational comprehensive solutions. The complexity of destabilizing factors threatening our societies entails a multidimensional response in which security, human rights and development are deeply intertwined. The United Nations as well as the European Union and its Members have realized this and incorporated a holistic approach into their strategies: the UN 2030 Agenda and Sustaining Peace Agenda and the European Union Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy mentioned by the High Representative.
Mr. President,
La coopération entre les Nations Unies et l’Union Européenne, sous et au-delà du Chapitre VIII de la Charte, se fonde donc sur un partenariat naturel qui lie les deux organisations en tant que communautés de valeurs et principes. Il s’agit d’une coopération qui détient aujourd’hui le potentiel pour être développée davantage sur la base de cette compréhension partagée de la complexité de défis contemporains .
Mr. President,
First, the European Union along with its Members contributes to UN Missions, also supporting them with its own Common Security and Defense Policy missions and working closely with regional organizations such as the African Union. It has a noteworthy engagement in international peace efforts, for instance in Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Mali — with EU military training missions — and Libya, with the EU Border Assistance Mission. As the High Representative stated, the recent decision to establish the Military Planning and Conduct Capability will provide an additional tool to improve the EU’s effectiveness as a security partner.
In strengthening these capacities, we should never forget or compromise our values, first and foremost protecting and saving lives. This is what we are doing relentlessly every day in the Mediterranean, off the Libyan coast, thanks to Operation Sophia. In less than 2 years, with 25 EU members participating in the Operation led by Admiral Credendino, over 34 thousand people have been rescued and more than 100 smugglers arrested: these figures are a clear proof of the added value provided by the EU.
The decision, your decision, Ms. High Representative, to give the Operation the name of a baby born on board a vessel reminds us that combating human traffickers’ networks is a collective moral duty and a shared security priority.
Italy will continue to address this plight through a comprehensive approach aimed at tackling its root causes, dismantling the business model of traffickers and saving lives at sea.
Second, the European Union is a global driver of peace. As a Union of half a billion people, among the main economic powers in the world, and the first investor in development cooperation, the European Union is a builder and keeper of the peace, security, and development continuum. This gives the EU unparalleled potential to contribute to the surge in diplomacy advocated by the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. We strongly support his push for a shift from crisis management to crisis prevention and believe that this approach should drive the reform of the UN peace and security pillar, including its partnerships with regional organizations.
Mr. President,
The European project has displayed its magnetic force since its foundation: along with the widening of its borders democracy, stability and development stretched all over our continent. Today it continues to exert the same power of attraction towards enlargement and neighboring Countries. I underscore here the vital role it plays in the Western Balkans: a credible EU enlargement policy represents the unique path for these Countries to consolidate inclusive, democratic and resilient societies. The UN and EU should be resolute in encouraging them to work together for a better future.
Moreover, the European Union is endowed with a set of diverse and effective tools to facilitate the political solution of crisis, a goal that is at the top of the Union’s and its Members’ agenda, starting with Syria, Libya, and the Middle East. In coordination with other international and regional actors, the Union is proactively engaged in diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful settlement to protracted and unresolved conflicts in Europe. Ending the crisis in Ukraine remains a top priority for the EU, which is providing its utmost support to the Security Council’s call for full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.
Last but not least, development. The EU is the world’s leading donor, as it was reminded, providing more than 50% of global development aid. Bridging humanitarian assistance and development cooperation while promoting human rights, rule of law and good governance, the EU is a major partner of the UN and its Agencies in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Our common endeavor to eradicate extreme poverty, tackle the effects of climate change, strengthen fragile institutions, protect human rights and build confidence and dialogue among communities is the primary antidote to the spread of conflicts.
Monsieur le Président,
dans tous ces domaines, nous croyons que la coopération et la coordination entre les Nations Unies et l’Union Européenne peuvent être renforcées davantage, afin de saisir pleinement leurs potentiel respectif et en tirer les avantages de façon ajustée a’ chaque contexte, dans le respect de principes de complémentarité et de subsidiarité.
Merci.
