Italy

Mr President, let me congratulate you and your country, Portugal, on your election as President of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly. At the same time, I wish to thank your distinguished predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Amara Essy. Italy fully supports the statement made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain in his capacity as Chairman of the European Union, and wishes to add the following considerations. The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations is an opportunity for us to reflect on the Organization’s past achievements and future role. The fundamental challenge of the United Nations has always been the maintenance of international peace and security, to which Italy has contributed by participating in several peace-keeping operations, in which some of our young men have lost their lives. Our experience has convinced us that the United Nations should expand its role in the areas of preventive diplomacy, peace-keeping and peace building. The activity that has provoked more controversy in recent years, peace enforcement, must take place under the mandate of the Security Council, but the Council can delegate such operations to coalitions of States or regional arrangements, thereby drawing on their valuable military expertise, particularly in matters of command and control, and preventing an overextension of United Nations resources. The responsibility for peace-keeping operations must be shared by the international community as a whole, and thus they should be financed through assessed rather than voluntary contributions, to be calculated on the basis of consensus, and in accordance with international commitments. In the former Yugoslavia, we have welcomed and constantly supported the diplomatic initiative undertaken by the United States Government and we sincerely hope that it marks the turning-point in the crisis. The renewal of diplomatic action has thus far scored major achievements: the Geneva agreement of 8 September on basic principles for a settlement in Bosnia, the Framework for a Cessation of Hostilities within the Sarajevo Exclusion Zone signed by the Bosnian Serbs in Belgrade on 14 September, and the joint statement issued on 26 September. For the first time in three years, there seem to be real prospects for a viable and stable peace in Bosnia and we cannot afford to miss this opportunity. It 24 is essential that Europe, the United States and Russia work together to overcome the remaining difficulties in the way of a general cease-fire and a peace agreement. We call upon all the parties concerned to come to the negotiating table, to show good faith and to resist the temptations to resort to military action to gain political advantages. We should also prepare well in advance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the former Yugoslavia by crafting an approach that would reaffirm respect for human rights and the rights of minorities and foster civil and cultural coexistence, development and welfare throughout the area. In the Middle East and the Mediterranean, Italy applauds the determination and courage of Prime Minister Rabin, Foreign Minister Peres and Chairman Arafat in reaching yesterday’s agreement on the second stage of self-government. Every effort should be made to implement it, starting with the holding of democratic elections in the Palestinian territories as soon as possible. Italy will continue its commitment to provide economic support to the Palestinian people. Other situations in the Middle East give rise instead to tension and instability. We must contribute ideas and initiatives to efforts aimed at defusing these tensions and encouraging dialogue between opposing forces, except those whose programme and policy are violence. At the same time, Italy expects those countries trapped in self-inflicted isolation to engage in a constructive dialogue with the international community. It is of the utmost urgency that an international conference be convened in the Great Lakes region of Africa under the sponsorship of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity, with the goal of fostering the process of national reconciliation and allowing a rapid repatriation of the millions of refugees still living in camps. But there have also been positive developments in Africa, such as the historic events of 1994 in South Africa, the reconstruction currently under way in Mozambique, the agreements that brought an end to the bloody conflict in Angola, and the political and constitutional developments in Ethiopia. My country’s commitment did not stop at the participation of its military personnel in Mozambique. We also responded positively to the Secretary-General’s request for military advisers to train de-mining personnel in Angola. Latin America has made significant progress in the reaffirmation of democratic laws and respect for human rights. Italy supports the peace process in Guatemala and has sent a contingent to the United Nations human-rights monitoring Mission there, as it did to the peace-keeping operation in El Salvador. The Asian continent is teaching all of us a lesson in realism, hard work and investment in human resources. Its growing force and economic success have brought it to the forefront of the community of nations. Italy will actively participate in the new Working Group for the reform of the United Nations, paying special attention to the economic and social sectors, which need improvement and streamlining. While proceeding with determination, we must avoid hasty decisions in areas where caution and diligence should be the rule. We must keep our sights on results and effectiveness rather than on symbolic and artificially-imposed deadlines. This is true not only for the economic and social sectors, but also for the reform of the Security Council, which is already the subject of a detailed Italian proposal inspired by the principles of democracy, equitable geographical representation and efficiency. It aims at reconciling the aspirations and interests of the greatest possible number of countries. Our goal is a Security Council with more non-permanent members that is able to express the feelings and political will of the international community as a whole. Only a Council that is truly representative of the entire United Nations membership and closely linked to the General Assembly can make this goal a reality. However, if the financial crisis of the United Nations is not solved, budgetary problems could derail any reform proposals and send the entire system down the road to bankruptcy. The Secretary-General has repeatedly made this point, as has the President of the Council of the European Union. In the review of the scale of assessments, Italy hopes that the Member States will approve much-needed reforms, confirming beyond a shadow of a doubt their will fully and promptly to honour their financial obligations. In some sectors of weapons of mass destruction, important limitations have been agreed on and implemented. As we recently learned, biological weapons, among the most horrifying arms known to man, are still in our midst. It is our wish that the prohibition of biological weapons be backed up by an effective system of verification. 25 As for nuclear weapons, the indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons paves the way for new goals in the field of disarmament. The primary goal is the conclusion of a comprehensive test-ban treaty by 1996. It is imperative that we achieve an outright ban on all nuclear testing, and my country will do its part to see that this becomes a reality. The Agenda for Development should be finalized by the end of the current session. The Agenda must reflect the conclusions and commitments made in the series of world conferences on the major social issues of our time, which will conclude with the World Conference on Food being hosted by Italy in the fall of 1996. The growth of the economy and of employment is fundamental to international political stability in an era of interdependence. An effective form of coordination between the United Nations system and the financial institutions of Bretton Woods should be devised. Multilateral trade and the free flow of investments could enhance the spread of equitable and sustainable development. With regard to the persistent problem of the debt of developing countries, Italy ranks second among creditor countries in its reduction of the external debt of countries with grave economic difficulties. The Italian Government is pleased with the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court and with the draft statute of the court prepared by the International Law Commission. Significantly, this draft explicitly does not include the death penalty among the sentences that can be handed down, in line with a position that Italy defended in this same Hall. My country hopes that the debate in the Sixth Committee will set the basis for convening a diplomatic conference in 1996 or 1997, which Italy has offered to host, to adopt the statute of the court. The Italian Government believes that the United Nations should step up its efforts, as should its specialized agencies and international financial institutions, to channel more resources towards human-centred activity. Democracy and respect for human rights must become the hallmark of our efforts to build a better future for our children.