On behalf of
the Government of the Republic of San Marino, I would
like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election
to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-
ninth session, and to wish you every success in your
work. The delegation of the Republic of San Marino
assures you, Sir, of its full cooperation throughout
the session. I would also like to express my country’s
gratitude to the outgoing President of the General
Assembly, Mr. John Ashe, for his work during the
sixty-eighth session. My country also wishes to extend
special thanks to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for
the energy and determination with which he leads
the United Nations and for his sensitivity towards all
Member States, without exception.
In particular, I would like to underscore the
importance of the climate change Summit organized by
the Secretary-General in New York on 23 September.
It provided the Heads of State and Government with
the opportunity to demonstrate their political will
for a global agreement on that issue. The Republic
of San Marino contributed to the work through the
participation of its Head of State, thereby underscoring
the importance and acknowledging the indissoluble link
between climate change and sustainable development.
The effects of climate change, which are often tragic,
are one of the most serious threats to the future of
humankind and a challenge that all States, in the context
of a joint action coordinated by the United Nations, are
called on to face with commitment and determination.
We are accountable to future generations for our ability
to achieve the goals of environmental protection, energy
saving and energy generation from renewable sources.
Climate change is one of the causes of many natural
disasters that have befallen our planet, including this
year. We need to respond effectively to the many very
serious humanitarian emergencies, which show the
clear interdependence of the global threats now facing
humankind. Today, a strong, rapid and coordinated
response at the international level is necessary to
deal with the very serious outbreak of Ebola that has
developed in some West African States and has become
a global threat. The most affected countries must not
be left alone or isolated. On the contrary, they must
be supported and helped. San Marino was among the
sponsors of resolution 2177 (2014), recently adopted
by the Security Council, which underscores the need
for an immediate mobilization of the international
community.
We are deeply moved by the problems at the
international level, and, in the light of the theme
of this session, “Delivering on and implementing a
transformative post-2015 development agenda”, we
recognize the need for a renewed commitment to
freeing the world from extreme poverty, inequality
and hunger. However, we are aware that the full
achievement of such goals is seriously compromised
when peace and security, on the basis of respect for the
equal dignity of all human beings, are not ensured. This
year, we have sadly witnessed too many incidents that
represent a serious threat to peace, security and respect
for human rights. It is therefore impossible not to share
the widespread perception of a weakening of the United
Nations capacity to intervene and the subsequent
questioning of United Nations-led missions.
Let us consider the following events. Since March
2011, the conflict in Syria has already caused more than
200,000 deaths and injured hundreds of thousands. It
has forced millions of people to flee their homes and
their countries to escape a war that shows infinite forms
of cruelty and ferocity. The Republic of San Marino
has strongly condemned and continues to condemn
the violations of human rights and of international
humanitarian law committed in Syria by all parties to
the conflict, without exception. The recent resurgence
of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has of late claimed
the lives of more than 1,000 civilians, among whom
were many women and children, for the most part
Palestinian, including those who had sought refuge in
United Nations schools. The San Marino Government
and Parliament have appealed to both sides to let their
guns fall silent and the desire for dialogue prevail,
aware that dialogue is the only way to achieve a peaceful
coexistence of the two peoples.
The situation is very serious in Iraq, where
ongoing ethnic and religious cleansing is taking place
with unprecedented violence. In the name of religion,
systematic and massive human rights violations,
only partially documented and evidenced, are being
perpetrated. Such violations constitute massive crimes
against humanity. A coalition of States is undertaking a
joint response. San Marino hopes that the interventions
are coordinated under the auspices of the United
Nations. In particular, it greeted with satisfaction and
co-sponsored resolution 2178 (2014) on foreign terrorist
fighters, unanimously adopted by the Security Council
on 24 September, under the leadership of the United
States President, Barack Obama.
The war that is being fought in some parts of North
Africa is causing the migration of thousands of desperate
people leaving for Europe every day in the hope of
arriving safely — a migration that, unfortunately,
often turns into tragedy. The Mediterranean continues
to witness the deaths of migrants from many areas
of Africa and Asia. The information provided by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is
evidence — as if evidence were necessary — not only
of the utter tragedy of the situation but also of the need
for a more united European action to address it.
In addition, this year has seen the crisis in Ukraine,
which is a serious threat to the peace and security of
the entire European continent, owing to both the large
number of victims and also the fact that fundamental
principles, such as the territorial sovereignty and self-
determination of peoples, are called into question.
These events demand the presence of the United
Nations and call for the entire international community
to assume its responsibility and to restore the
Organization’s capacity to intervene in order to protect
the citizens of the entire world through the peaceful
resolution of disputes between States, as enshrined in the
Charter of the United Nations and in numerous General
Assembly resolutions. These events also underscore
the need for a reaffirmation of our Organization’s
profoundly democratic nature so that each State, large
or small, can make its voice heard and contribute to
the work and resolutions of the United Nations. These
events require that the cultural and religious diversity
and the manifold traditions represented within our
Organization do not hamper the pursuit of possible
solutions. On the contrary, they should be a valuable
resource, enabling us to adopt an approach that unites
the interests of the entire international community.
We recognize the duty and the responsibility to
work tirelessly for the definition and the implementation
of the post-2015 development agenda. However, given
the seriousness of the international situation, a simple
appeal will not suffice. On the contrary, precisely
because, in many cases, a lack of integration between
the economic and the social and environmental aspects
has hampered the full achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals, as the report notes, we are
convinced that we need new momentum and a new
beginning in order to restore elements able to promote
a culture of life, tolerance, acceptance and solidarity
within our communities and populations. The first
element of that process, aimed at building a culture of
inclusion, is the family. Recognition of the urgency to
create such a culture demands of all States a common
commitment and renewed consideration to promote
the protection and support of the family. Indeed, the
family is clearly the place where our main relationships
governing human coexistence are developed. For that
reason, weakening and marginalizing the family has
often caused great existential confusion in younger
generations with many serious personal and social
consequences.
In this spirit and with the utmost determination,
each State must assume its responsibility and leave no
stone unturned in resolving the numerous conflicts,
which Pope Francis has referred to as the third world
war, since, if they were to prevail, they would nullify the
plan for balanced development in the third millennium,
as it should be defined in the United Nations agenda.
San Marino is a small State that has in its century-old
history always considered freedom and peace as the
supreme goods to be preserved and protected. Based
on that identity, it is honoured and proud to contribute
to the community of the United Nations. With humility
we call on all States to make every effort to give the
United Nations strength and authority as the central
referral body we so keenly need today.