San Marino
H.E. Mr. Fiorenzo Stolfi, Head of Government and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Political Affairs and Economic Planning
25 September 2008
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Statement Summary
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FLORENZO STOLFI, Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs and Economic Planning with the Functions of Prime Minister of San Marino, said reforming the United Nations was of fundamental importance to world equilibrium, and should remain the focus of the Assembly’s efforts. A failure to reach an agreement on reforms would lead to the decentralization and weakening of the Organization’s pivotal role. Given present international conditions, marked by wars inside and between nations and controversies that could lead to more conflicts, the United Nations’ role was of particular necessity. Indeed, despite the hard work of peacekeepers, the United Nations had failed to play a decisive role in many international crises.
He said the Assembly was the most important forum in which a small State could be heard, and democratization within the bodies of the United Nations assumed fundamental importance for States of limited size. Greater efficiency would render the Assembly more complementary in its relations with other main bodies of the Organization. It was important for small States, also, to establish efficient collaboration methods and consultation to coordinate their actions and have their voices heard within international organizations.
Turning to the Millennium Development Goals, he said population growth, climate change and the spread of new diseases, as well as economic and financial instability were seriously threatening the achievement of the Goals. Noting that developing countries, in particular small islands, were particularly vulnerable to climate change, he said the negative consequences of climate change were a threat to international peace and the cause of the most severe humanitarian emergencies. The only solution, in that regard, was to identify effective strategies to reach equilibrium between respect for the environment, energy consumption and economic growth, in particular, by expanding the use of renewable energy. Partnerships between Governments and the private sector could make a significant contribution to tackling climate change and ensuring targeted investments in new technologies.
The global food crisis and rising prices also presented an increasingly distressing trend, he said, expressing San Marino’s support for the United Nations Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis. He also pledged support for the United Nations Campaign to End Violence against Women, noting that San Marino had recently adopted its own law in that regard entitled the “Prevention and Repression of Violence against Women and Gender-Based Violence”. Also of particular importance to San Marino was the problems faced by people with disabilities. It had already ratified the Convention on the matter, and, in concert with the private sector, was participating in United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) projects to protect the rights of disabled children.
Taking up the development of intercultural dialogue, he said such communication was a concrete tool for reaching peaceful coexistence and the mutual respect between individuals and peoples. San Marino dedicated itself to, and continued to work for, the promotion of such dialogue. In its work with the Council of Europe, San Marino had coordinated the first meeting on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, which was held this year on an experimental basis.
[Source: GA/10754]
