Discorso pronunciato dal Ministro degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, On. Angelino Alfano, al meeting del Consiglio di Sicurezza sulla Non proliferazione delle armi di distruzione di massa
Dear colleagues,
I want to thank the United States for convening this meeting.
Almost 50 years ago the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty entered into force. Thanks to collective effort the Non-Proliferation Treaty has become a pillar of our collective security. During all these years Italy has been a champion of this treaty. Non-proliferation is a fundamental good that the international community and the Security Council have to preserve. Collective security cannot be guaranteed without non-proliferation. It is important to have a robust and effective implementation of the international law. There should be accountability.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has caused one of the biggest crises of our times.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile program is a very serious threat to peace and security.
We have to stand firm and united to defend Non-Proliferation, which is a common good for all of us, and a guarantee of peace, security, and stability.
Italy has condemned Pyongyang’s launch of a ballistic missile over Japan on the fifteenth of September; as well as all missile and nuclear tests.
With Resolution 2375, the Council sent a clear and strong message: further attempts of the regime to defy the United Nations will backfire. And if North Korea wants to step back from self-isolation, it must stop developing its missile and nuclear program.
A different story is that of Iran, which has moved in a positive direction regarding its own nuclear program.
The Iran nuclear deal has delivered gains for global security by imposing strict limits on Teheran’s nuclear program. And in return we have lifted the sanctions. It’s a good example of effective diplomacy and smart sanctions.
But reaching the deal was just the beginning. Now, we must continue to ensure that Iran does not sway off the path of nuclear non-proliferation.
Italy, as Security Council Facilitator of Resolution 2231, will continue to foster the smooth implementation of this crucial Resolution.
We are concerned by Iran’s missile tests, which seem inconsistent with the spirit if not the letter of Resolution 2231. This can worsen regional instability and can put at risk the progress made so far.
Unfortunately, where we have seen no progress is in Syria. To the contrary, we have seen the repeated use of chemical weapons against innocent people. This is a horrific war crime.
Those found guilty of this war crime have to be sanctioned accordingly. Therefore, we need to redouble our efforts to identify anyone who has played a role in the use of chemical weapons against the defenseless civilian population.
Dear colleagues, just a few more words on the use of sanctions.
As Chair of the 1718 Committee on North Korea, Italy has focused on the concrete effect of sanctions. It’s important to monitor their implementation; to get a precise picture of compliance by the membership; and to address weaknesses in their enforcement.
We have also placed emphasis on strengthening technical assistance and capacity building, providing Member States with the necessary tools to implement the sanctions.
Moreover, we have worked to increase political awareness of the sanctions framework. To this goal, the 1718 Committee has intensified its outreach activities and has facilitated regular exchanges of information among Member States, the Committee and the Panel of Experts.
So far, six outreach meetings have taken place for each UN Regional Group. And we have already scheduled, on the ninth of October, an Open Briefing for all the UN membership.
Thanks to this outreach, an increasing number of States are now reporting to the 1718 Committee on the implementation of the sanctions. We are seeing the results of our joint work.
At the same time, Italy is engaged with our EU partners to adopt Resolution 2375 on North Korea into our legal system as soon as possible. And to identify more autonomous restrictive measures.
A final remark: we want to ensure that the sanctions have an impact on the proliferation programs of the regime, but also avoid any negative effects on the humanitarian situation.
Because as an international community, we care about the fate of the people of North Korea.
Thank you.
