Mr. President,
Allow me to express the sincere appreciation of my government for this initiative and for the honor of having your Excellency presiding this Council. The tragic events in Mumbai – for which I would like to renew the condolences and the grief of Italy for so many innocent victims – prove once again that terrorism represents a fundamental threat to international peace and security. Effective counter-terrorism policies cannot be put together only in the heated aftermath of terrorist attacks; they require, instead, patient and tenacious work on which to build and strengthen cooperation and mutual trust among countries. Italy endorses the statement by the EU Presidency.
The threat of terrorism is intense and, unfortunately, will remain as such for the foreseeable future. Globalization and new technologies favor its spreading across borders, broaden the risk of convergence between terrorist organizations and illegal trafficking, the illicit use of financial circuits, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The threat is diversified, complex and continuously changing. It requires long-term political will, a global vision, and the ability to modulate responses to various scenarios.
The United Nations remains the best-suited framework for improving and better defining international counter-terrorism policies. Initially intended to better regulate this matter, these policies have progressively been enhanced with new instruments and updated structures. The role of the UN is all the more crucial, as the need is stronger for all Member States to give their support in implementing the necessary interventions.
For all these reasons, today’s debate is important.
In the fight against terrorism, we are not in a primeval era of cooperation among states and peoples. A strategy agreed on by the entire membership exists: a Global Strategy that we must follow, speeding up the pace of implementation of its four pillars.
The Strategy should be implemented today, drawing from the efforts of the entire UN system, the three UNSC subsidiary bodies, and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.
The ratification of all 16 Counter-Terrorism Conventions is a priority. They translate into binding commitments the primacy of cooperation over individual sovereignties, at a time when we acknowledge the indivisibility of peace and security in a globalized world.
Full implementation of Security Council resolutions on this issue is not only our obligation, but a need for all of us.
The promotion and protection of human rights and the priority of the rule of law are integral part of any effective counter-terrorism strategy.
There must be neither safe havens nor impunity for terrorists. Technical assistance should be made available to countries that need it. Justice for victims should be assured: a way to translate compassion into solidarity. Rescuing failing states is also crucial for the achievement of the United Nations human rights and security agenda.
Prevention and early detection of extremism and radicalization, to which the younger generation is particularly susceptible, are needed – as well as more effective mechanisms of exchange of information, coordination of law enforcement agencies and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The European Union has a set of instruments of judicial cooperation among European States, already proved effective in many cases. After the terrorist attacks in Madrid and London, direct collaboration between European judges led, for example, to the arrest in Italy and immediate delivery to Spain and the United Kingdom of some of the perpetrators. Mr. President,
The challenge we are faced with can be won. To reach this goal, all countries need to make a long-term and consistent effort. We need resolute international cooperation, based on clear strategies and mutual trust. We must stop heinous crimes from building walls of hostility and mistrust among countries and peoples.
Italy fully supports the proposal for a Presidential Statement and the call on solidarity it contains, reiterating the determination of the Security Council to combat all forms of terrorism.