Security Council – Open Debate on
“Peace and Security in Africa: Capacity Building for Sustaining Peace”
09 August 2022
STATEMENT BY ITALY
Mr. President,
I would like to thank you for organizing this Open Debate.
Italy fully aligns itself with the statement of the European Union.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have affected international peace and security, dramatically exacerbating the root causes of conflict in the African continent.
We must converge on the priorities that the African Union summarized in the 2063 Agenda and support effective partnerships to make financing for development a key priority.
I will focus on three points.
First, we believe that further investing in a strategic dialogue between the Security Council and regional and sub-regional organizations may strengthen positive dynamics in Africa.
Both at a national level and within the EU, Italy has always paid careful attention positions endorsed by the African Union and other regional organizations.
We commend the African Union – through its close cooperation with regional blocs – for successfully facilitating peace agreements and reducing conflict escalation in several countries.
That is why we stand ready to support and invest in the programs and initiatives considered key by the UN Security Council and the AU for sustaining peace and stability in the continent.
Italy will continue to support the African Peace and Security Architecture with financial assistance, training and capacity building programs and is in favor of using UN-assessed contributions for African-led peace operations, provided that appropriate standards are met.
To this end, Italy supports the work of the Carabinieri corps, entrusted by the Italian Foreign Ministry, with the mandate to cooperate with AU partners on capacity building of police and security forces.
As repeatedly stated by Italy, the issue of Africa’s presence in UN institutions should also be addressed, with specific reference to the Security Council, in order to make it more representative, democratic, accountable, transparent and effective.
Second, in order to sustain peace, conflict prevention must be effective – which leads us to discuss the role of the Peacebuilding Commission.
We believe that we can overcome some difficult dynamics within the Security Council by reinforcing the role of the PBC, in the interest of peace and security in Africa.
We firmly believe in PBC priorities as drivers of peace and stability. Investing in resilience, social cohesion and in the active participation of women and youth in conflict-prevention and capacity building can foster virtuous cycles that can lay the foundation of sustainable peace.
Tackling trans-border issues is another crucial area that the PBC clearly has on its agenda with the aim of de-escalating dangerous situations among local communities and between neighboring States.
As members of the PBC starting next year, we are ready to do our part.
Third, sustaining peace in Africa, while demanding a strong commitment within the multilateral framework, also constitutes a national priority for Italy.
Ours is a multi-dimensional strategy.
We support African countries through direct assistance and capacity building programs aimed at promoting human rights, rule of law and good governance. We also believe, however, that there can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without sustainable development.
Food security, health and education are the main pillars of the Italian Development Cooperation’s strategy in Africa, with a focus on gender equality, youth and jobs creation across the board.
Our initiatives are launched in coordination with local Authorities, paying particular attention to ownership and the priorities identified by our partners.
We will also continue to facilitate partnerships between Italian and African companies, since the private sector needs to be supported to grow and generate wealth for African communities.
A step in the right direction would be the completion of the African Free Trade Continental Area, which we welcome and hope will help Africa gain greater stability.
To conclude, Mr President,
Italy is ultimately engaged, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels, on fronts that are inextricably linked to peace and security, such as climate change and terrorism.
During the Italian G20 Presidency, we put the fight against climate change at the very core of our international agenda, building on efforts to enhance climate finance from developed countries and debt reduction for African countries.
Moreover, we are particularly active in the Global Coalition against Sahel.
There is no single solution to sustain peace and security in Africa, but collectively we are called to make every effort in this direction, aware that multilateralism remains key.
Thank you.
