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General Assembly – Third Committee

Statement by Italy, at the 3rd Committee Meeting on “Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees, and displaced persons and humanitarian questions” —

 

Mr. President,

Italy aligns itself to the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union and wishes to add the following remarks in its national capacity.

At the outset, I wish to thank the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, for his remarks and for the presentation of his report. I also wish to share my Country’s appreciation for the presence and work of UNHCR in often remote and difficult locations, and to pay tribute to the visionary leadership that the High Commissioner has shown since his appointment.

As highlighted in the report, the global number of forcibly displaced people stands at about 65 millions, most of whom fled countries embroiled in armed conflict, generalized violence, and severe human rights violations. For many of them, abuses, exploitation and violence continue also during the perilous and dramatic journey they undertake to seek international protection, falling victims of human trafficking networks. It is clearly the worst humanitarian crisis the world has ever witnessed, and it is always the most vulnerable to pay the dearest price for it.

Mr. President,

as the consequences of refugee outflows continue to fall disproportionately on the developing world, the relation between human mobility and development needs to be reconsidered. With 84% of refugees living in the developing world, and more than half displaced for over 4 years, it is essential that the international community recognizes that emergency humanitarian interventions need to be complemented by a longer-term development response. In this regard, we support UNHCR’s efforts to promote a paradigm shift in the response to forced displacement, through the development of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework in large-scale refugee situations, the engagement in a predictable, systematic and sustained cooperation with development partners (notably UNDP and the World Bank), with a view to enhancing refugee self-reliance, easing the pressure on host countries, expanding access to third-country solutions and supporting conditions in countries of origin for voluntary return in safety and dignity.

We will, of course, continue to support UNHCR also in its emergency operations, designed to save lives, alleviate human suffering and protect the dignity of the millions of asylum-seekers, refugees, internally displaced and stateless persons around the world.

Mr. President,

The character and dimensions of today’s refugee crises are inextricably linked to the ways armed conflicts have deepened in complexity over the last decade, and often combines with the threats of human trafficking, transnational organized crime, rising violent extremism, sexual and gender based violence, and growing humanitarian concerns, constituting notable and multidimensional peace and security challenges.

In one year of non-permanent membership of the Security Council, Italy has always tried to emphasize the virtuous interactions between the mandate of UNHCR and the work of the Council – which Italy has the honour to preside over this month – taking stock of the implications of large movements of people for international peace and security and how the Council, in promoting and fostering prevention and resolution of conflicts, can be a pivotal partner in the search for solutions to the plight of refugees, the displaced, returnees and stateless persons. We look forward to hearing the High Commissioner’s briefing in the Security Council tomorrow morning.

I thank you.

Statement by Ambassador Inigo Lambertini, Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, at the Third Committee meeting on “Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees, and displaced persons and humanitarian questions” —