Discorso pronunciato dall’Ambasciatrice Mariangela Zappia, Rappresentante Permanente dell’Italia presso le Nazioni Unite, al Dibattito aperto in Consiglio di Sicurezza su “Maintenance of International Peace and Security – Strengthening Multilateralism and the Role of the United Nations”” —
Thank you very much, Mr. President, and thank you for organizing this debate, it is very opportune.
Italy aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union.
The need for Multilateralism has never been greater. Yet, the multilateral order is under strong criticism and its efficiency is being increasingly questioned, not only by Governments, but more and more by the people.
The aggravation of social and economic inequalities – have undermined public consent for common rules and shared principles. Multilateralism is seen as unable to find solutions to the world’s most pressing problems and, as such, far from people’s everyday lives. As a consequence multilateral institutions are often perceived as distant, ineffective and therefore irrelevant.
Ineffectiveness and irrelevance – whether perceived or real – can drive an ever deeper wedge between multilateral institutions and the people they serve. Together they pose an unprecedented challenge to the existing multilateral order. There is clearly an issue of trust as the Secretary-General has underlined this morning – trust of the people towards what we do here but also trust among us.
The response should be reform and recommit.
Reform the way our multilateral system works in order to make it more effective and relevant to the lives of people across the world. Recommit, unwaveringly, to renewed multilateralism is the only way in which the international community can come together to find effective solutions to common problems, global challenges that cannot be tackled by small number of States, let alone by a single one. They require a common set of rules, a global network of engagements and partnerships based on an equal footing.
Italy firmly believes in a rule-based international legal order. At its core, the United Nations is the primary forum in which “we the people” can and should come together to develop a shared normative framework. Only a strengthened United Nations can be the pillar of an international system that ensures peace, justice, equality and prosperity.
The ongoing reform processes are crucial to improve the UN’s effectiveness and its capacity to reach these goals. Italy reaffirms its steadfast support to the Secretary General’s endeavors, particularly his efforts in conflict prevention, mediation and peace building.
We strongly support Action for Peacekeeping. Each of us has a role to play and Italy, also in capacity as first peacekeeping troops contributor among the Western Countries, stands ready to do its part and make UN Peacekeeping operations more effective and efficient.
A reformed UN must continue to operate in a logic of shared responsibility among its Members States and regional organizations. The essence of effective multilateralism is the capacity to reach the widest possible consensus – even on the thorniest of issues – through genuine, inclusive and open dialogue.
The Secretary-General spoke this morning of networks of multilateralism. Italy strongly believes in this concept. I wish to mention three recent examples of our commitment to open dialogue and foster the multilateral approach.
At the end of October we hosted in Rome for the second time the Italy-Africa Ministerial Conference. One of the main outcomes of the Conference was our renewed commitment to a strategic engagement and a encompassing partnership with Africa in the context of a strengthened multilateral cooperation framework that includes regional organizations such as the African Union, the European Union, as well as the UN.
Next Monday and Tuesday Italy will host in Palermo an International Conference on Libya. All the relevant stakeholders will come together with Libyan representatives in order to renew the International Community’s full support to the UN’s leadership in the political process. , The Conference of Palermo is an event for Libya, with Libya. ,
At the end of this month we will host in Rome for the fourth time the Med Dialogues, three days of high-level discussions on all the political, economic, scientific, cultural, people to people issues of shared interest in the Mediterranean with the aim to strengthen the multilateral cooperation in such a crucial area for peace and stability in the world.
Mr. President,
this Council has a crucial role and a responsibility in strengthening multilateralism. This Council too needs reform.
A reform to be truly representative, accountable, democratic, transparent and effective.
It is high time to give a concrete chance to all Member States to seat in the Security Council, particularly to those group of States and regions of the world that nowadays are underrepresented.
To achieve this result, we must redouble our efforts towards a consensual solution that can garner the widest possible political acceptance.
The key concept is not to enlarge the small circle of privilege but to give all more chances to contribute to find solutions for maintaining peace and security.
Finally, Mr. President, let me conclude by calling on us, the diplomats, the actors of multilateralism, the women and men behind the scene, to be even more committed to dialogue, to understanding the other’s point of view and in the end to recommit really strong to diplomacy itself.
Thank you very much.
