On behalf of the Government of the Republic of San Marino, we would like to congratulate Mr. Dennis Francis on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session and to wish him success in his work. I would also like to extend my special thanks to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his energy and determination in leading the United Nations in these difficult and challenging times.
The coming years will be crucial not only for our future but for that of generations to come. The promises of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are in danger. Despite years of sustainable development gains, millions of people have fallen into poverty, and hunger and malnutrition are becoming more prevalent. We are concerned about the multiple interlinked crises that are pushing our world, especially developing countries, towards the brink. The crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, migration, forced displacement, the cost-of-living crisis and the water, food, financial and energy crises are threatening our planet and people and derailing progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, the intensification of conflicts in many parts of the world, together with natural disasters, which have become more frequent and intense, are causing human suffering and compromising the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The increasingly evident interrelationships among global challenges highlight the need for Member States to work together to overcome difficulties today more than ever. No individual State, not even the most powerful or technologically advanced State, has the capacity to face global challenges on its own. San Marino reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism, with the United Nations at its centre, in particular in the
framework of the General Assembly, which is the most representative body of the United Nations on account of its deeply democratic nature, universal participation and undisputed legitimacy. We need to strengthen our commitment to implement existing agreements, such as the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and international law treaties, and make the necessary reforms to the system. We need to revitalize the United Nations by reinvigorating multilateralism, if we want to pursue credible solutions to global challenges. To that end. it is essential to rebuild trust in the potential of the Organization and its leadership — and most of all. trust among its Members and all its stakeholders.
Moreover, global governance must become more inclusive and accountable to be effective, by providing more space for the participation of civil society and the private sector. It must ensure sustainable financing by catalysing a new generation of public and private investment in global goods, as well as strengthening the global financial safety net in order to make it possible for Member States to access international funding during times of crisis. Reforms must remain at the centre of our action, because they are crucial to future world stability and the maintenance of international peace and security. In that regard. San Marino is following with particular interest the reform of the Security Council. As we have stated on previous occasions, our country believes that the intergovernmental negotiations favour the search for an agreement based on a broad and strong political consensus that is able to reflect the interests of all negotiating groups. San Marino calls for reform that makes the Council more democratic, transparent, efficient and accountable. That goal can be achieved only through continuous dialogue among Member States and the awareness that overcoming their respective initial positions is essential to negotiate the broadest agreement possible.
We are facing difficult times, with an unprecedented level of violence, mass atrocities and displacement. San Marino is deeply concern about the number and the scale of armed conflicts across the globe, which are causing immense suffering to millions of civilians. San Marino is also very concerned about the alarming increase in dangerous nuclear rhetoric and nuclear threats, which reinforce the image of a dark future, instead of a sustainable one. Any use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is irresponsible and totally unacceptable. Unfortunately, the risk of nuclear weapons being used either deliberately or by accident is higher today than at any other time since the Cold War. The use of nuclear weapons would cause mass-scale death and destruction and would have catastrophic and prolonged consequences for human health and wellbeing. as well as the environment. San Marino reaffirms its commitment to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons and attaches great importance to the milestone Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which more than 90 States have signed to date.
The war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in dramatic consequences for the civilian population, including civilian deaths, the destruction of vital infrastructure and massive displacement. San Marino condemns the Russian aggression against Ukraine and supports Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders. At the same time. San Marino welcomes all international efforts to bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the Charter of the United Nations, the relevant General Assembly resolutions and international law. San Marino supports upholding obligations under humanitarian law. such as the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions. San Marino reaffirms its full commitment to the International Criminal Court, whose work is crucial to the fight against impunity for genocide and crimes against humanity and which represents one of the core elements for the implementation of the responsibility to protect. Through its work, the International Court of Justice fosters accountability and thereby promotes prevention and reconciliation.
Armed conflicts around the globe have dramatically impacted the lives of millions of civilians and have resulted in continued and massive displacement. San Marino is alarmed by the unprecedented food and nutrition crisis affecting hundreds of millions of people around the world. The protection of civilian infrastructure is key to ensuring food security in times of conflict. When infrastructure and tools essential to the survival of civilians are damaged or destroyed, food production and distribution, water delivery, sanitation, energy provision and health care can all be disrupted. San Marino calls on all parties to implement Security Council resolution 2417 (2018). which condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.
as well as the unlawful denial of humanitarian access. Furthermore. San Marino supports Security Council resolution 2573 (2021). which condemns attacks against the critical civilian infrastructure that is indispensable for the population’s survival.
San Marino is particularly concerned about the high number of grave violations against children reported once again this year in the report of the Secretary- General (A/78/1). Armed conflicts continue to devastate children’s lives and compromise their fundamental rights. We are witnessing an increase in attacks on schools and hospitals. That is unacceptable. San Marino firmly condemns attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as their use for military purposes. Health care and education are fundamental children’s rights that must always be preserved. We reiterate our support for the Safe Schools Declaration. Educational facilities should be a safe place for all children, students and teachers. We are also concerned about the substantial increase in the recruitment and use of child soldiers. We call on all Member States to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. We also encourage all parties to support other important tools, such as the Paris Principles, the Paris Commitments and the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers. San Marino supports the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and her Office and welcomes the new action plans and commitments that have been signed or are in progress.
The increasing number of conflicts shows how diplomacy, mediation and conflict prevention are tools that must be strengthened in order to achieve sustainable peace. Today more than ever, political solutions, inclusive peace processes, conflict-prevention strategy and strong faith in multilateralism are required. Today we face several interrelated security challenges. Access to natural resources is one of them, while climate change is increasingly both an existential threat and a key driver of conflict. The link between the climate emergency and security issues is self-evident, and it needs to be addressed within the Security Council in order to respond to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable communities.
The effects of climate change are causing suffering to the most vulnerable communities, especially small island developing States, least developed countries and those affected by conflict. Rising sea levels, poor precipitation and record temperatures exacerbate the risk of instability by reducing harvests, displacing communities and destroying infrastructure. Climate policies and green transitions offer opportunities for reducing the devastating effects of climate change. It is imperative to address the challenges posed by climate change through ambitious mitigation and adaptation, in addition to the implementation of the loss-and-damage agenda and an adequate climate finance agenda. If we fail, there will be devastating effects, not only for the planet but also for development and human rights.
Without the immediate acceleration of the implementation of the SDGs. our world will endure new periods of crisis and uncertainty. The recent SDG Summit represented a chance to scale up the efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, including through development cooperation. SDG investments, enhancing macroeconomic policy cooperation and implementing actions to accelerate sustainable development, in particular in support of developing countries.
San Marino commits to accelerating action to remove all legal, social and economic barriers to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. We also support the empowerment of other vulnerable groups, such as young people and persons with disabilities, aimed at the realization and full enjoyment of their human rights.
San Marino believes it is essential to continue to work for an inclusive and equitable quality education, including early childhood education and digital education, and we stress the importance of addressing the gender gap in education. In that regard, we welcome the outcomes of the 2022 Transforming Education Summit.
San Marino calls on all Member States to spread the benefit of digitalization by expanding the participation of all countries, in particular developing countries, in the digital economy.
We also believe it is extremely important to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems and promote healthy nutrition, diets and consumption practices, and to recover the momentum and accelerate the efforts to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition. In that respect, we welcome the outcome of the 2023
Food Systems Summit + 2 Stocktaking Moment, which served as the first global follow-up to the 2021 Food Systems Summit. Moreover, as a promoter of resolution 74/209. which established the 29 September as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. San Marino firmly believes that the fight against food loss and waste will contribute to promoting food security, and we welcome all the initiatives aiming at developing awareness of such responsible behaviours.
In conclusion, if we want to build inclusive, equitable and peaceful societies, it is essential to find new ways of working together and to ensure that multilateral institutions will be able to address the rapid changes taking place. Member States must shoulder their responsibilities, including that of enabling our Organization to fulfil its mandate, which is to protect the citizens of the world. Thanks to its century-old history of peace and freedom. San Marino is a State with a strong vocation for dialogue and solidarity. Our State is small, but we are proud to make our contribution to the work of the United Nations.