THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT

STATEMENT BY

THE PRIME MINISTER OF ITALY

PROFESSOR GIULIANO AMATO

We are gathered today, at the beginning of a century presenting us with great opportunities, but also dangers just as great, to reaffirm our commitment to the centrality of the U.N. Today the world needs even more than before a reformed and vital UN. This is necessary in order to deal-on the basis of democratic principles and universal values with the implications of the process of globalization.

I believe that the main point is rather simple: while the world appears increasingly global, mankind remains deeply divided. One part of humanity enjoys the essential rights: to security, to life, to dignity, to development, to health, to education, to a safe environment and another part is still excluded from all that: the weakest, and the most vulnerable part. The credibility of the UN will depend from their ability to overcome this divide. We must not be content with putting the interests of States at the core of international governance, but the future of nations and individuals, just as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says in his report to the Assembly.

This issue must see us all on the same side, regardless which part of the world we come from. There are no perspectives for anyone, in the next century, if we fail to provide fair prospects for everyone. To make this possible, we must share a common sense of responsibility. We need therefore a new deal on a global scale, whose a reformed and vital UN must be the inspiration and the guarantor.

̣ As the Prime Minister of a Country that has heavily invested her energies and her resources in the UN system, the head of the government of a major member of the European Union and the one that will be chairing the G8 next year, I must stress that Italy stands ready to fulfill her responsibilities. We are indeed showing that already. I will mention two examples: the Italian engagement in UN peace operations (we are now the 3rd provider of military manpower in peace missions either authorized by the UN or directly operated by them); our recent law on the cancellation of the foreign debt of the poorest countries, that goes beyond our multilateral engagements and de facto will. increase substantially our financial allocations for development aid. Italy's proven and long-standing commitment to the UN and to UN values is the foundation for its candidature to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 2001-2002.

̣ Precisely because my country has taken concrete steps, and is about to take others, I feel entitled to stress that we need bold and speedy decisions to promote in this world a sustainable economy, a sustainable environment, a sustainable home for mankind. Italy intends to pursue certain priorities:

1. We must make substantive progress in poverty reduction. The goal we have set to ourselves, halving poverty by 2015, requires radical efforts. This is especially needed for Africa, a whole continent in danger of falling into a vicious circle of poverty and conflict; but the same could also be said of small insular states, and land-locked countries. Debt cancellation is important, indispensable even, but not enough. We need a new compact between the affluent world and the world of the poorer, and agree on a common strategy. The less advanced countries can and should envisage political and economic reforms; the more advanced, a better mix of policies, blending measures directed at debt reduction (providing faster and timely relief, and addressing the problems of middle-income nations), together with open markets and fresh investment in key sectors, beginning with education and health. I must insist on two points, that Italy will put at the forefront of her positions at the forthcoming UN Conference of LDCs a

nd at the Conference on Development financing, and that I will propose again at the Genoa Summit of the G8, next year. The importance of opening our markets, by abolishing quotas and tariffs for LDCs; the necessity of allocating fresh resources _to education, to extending access to the new information technologies, and to the fight against disease. My country intends for example to contribute directly to the Health InterNetwork suggested by the Secretary General in his report to the Assembly.

2. Our second priority task consists in improving the UN capability to handle crises. In this decade we have witnessed a dramatic increase in conflicts within states, as opposed to between states, with over five million victims. I share on this point the essence of the conclusions of the Brahimi Report. It is essential to emphasize prevention, and this is the lessons we derive both from ten years of Balkan wars and from the devastating consequences of conflicts still raging in the African Continent. Dealing with crises after they explode into the open bears costs, in terms of human suffering, that are simply unacceptable. If we look at the future of peace keeping and peace building, we must recognize that we are facing a fundamental choice: either we provide the UN with adequate means, solid mandates, clear political strategies, or else we cannot affirm UN credibility. Italy is aware of this alternative, and stands ready to engage herself in a reform of the peace keeping. We intend, among other initiatives,

to participate in training civilian and police personnel for UN missions, so as to address one of the main requirement arising from today's complex peace operations.

3. Another key point is the effective defense of universal human rights, as a guarantee of a fairer and more democratic international system. We have made progress in recent years in this respect, but much more can be achieved, especially once that we reach the required number of ratifications for Rome Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court. In an era when internal conflicts abound, overcoming intolerance in every form is at the same time one of the most effective ways to prevent conflict. Italy stresses the importance of the forthcoming Conference on Racism, to be held next year in South Africa.

4. Finally, we must mobilize the international community against international organized crime, that is nowadays almost a parallel world, outside every rule, subject only to violence, nee and brutality. The UN can provide a decisive contribution; Italy intends to promote a collective effort in this direction, with the Conference that we are convening in Palermo on this very subject before the end of this year.

Responsibility and priorities are indeed the keywords. A necessary condition for these two concepts to coincide, and for collective responsibility to translate into effective governance and coherent international strategies, is the existence of multilateral institutions that are strong and that are perceived as legitimate. For this to happen, we must adopt three converging lines of conduct :

1. Achieving a working cooperation between a renewed UN -system -for instance, we urge reviving the ECOSOC- the Bretton Woods institutions, and the regional organizations. The coherence of international strategies will hinge on this relationship. I have in mind particularly a strong relationship between the UN and the European Union, at the time when the EU is developing a true foreign and security policy. But I also think of the special responsibilities coming with the G8 Chairmanship that we shall exercise next year.

2. Creating new forms of partnership between the UN, the civil society and the corporate world. I believe that we can harness the implications of globalization, extending benefits and reducing risks, only if we generate interaction with the civil society, and only by extending the principle of responsibility to the private sector.

3.Revising the functioning and the structure of the different bodies of the UN, to improve their efficiency, their democratic legitimacy, and power of decision. These also are for us the criteria that will have to inspire a comprehensive reform of the Security Council.

I have listed some priorities we can all share, and some specific engagements of my country. I have spoken of values, the same values that give strength to the UN, and of policies designed to put them into practice. These policies will leave their mark on the new century, and will color the future of the younger generations, our children, the young men and women of the XXI century. This century must open new opportunities; it must include, not exclude, bring closer, and not divide.

But what matters, what shall remain of this Millennium Summit, will not be the words we pronounce today; but the responsibility we are taking as leaders of our respective nations, acting united in a common commitment.