A Speech of the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Matteo Renzi, on the Death Penalty

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UN MEETING “MOVING AWAY FROM THE DEATH PENALTY: NATIONAL LEADERSHIP”, NEW YORK, 25 SEPTEMBER 2014.

On 25 September 2014, at a High-level event of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights together with Italy and other three States, the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Matteo Renzi, delivered a speech on the death penalty and on the need to support a moratorium to stop it and eventually to abolish it. After mentioning Italy’s leading role in the abolitionist campaign (with the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II, having renounced to capital punishment already in 1786), he said that Italians

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Intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, at the event “Ending child marriage: towards a more gender equitable world”

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NEW YORK, 22 SEPTEMBER 2014

On 22 September 2014, on the sidelines of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Italy co-organised the event “Ending child marriage: towards a more gender equitable world”. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, gave a speech in which she highlighted the importance of the direct involvement and ownership of countries affected, in particular in matters of education, in order to progressively eradicate this practice. She said:

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A Statement by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Angelino Alfano, on International Terrorism Motivated by Religion

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 286th MEETING, 9 SEPTEMBER 2014.

On 9 September 2014, on the occasion of an urgent speech at the Chamber of Deputies, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Angelino Alfano, commented on international terrorism motivated by religion. The Minister discussed the dangerous and aggressive nature of the Islamic State and addressed the phenomenon of foreign fighters.

The Minister stated:

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A Speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, on the discussion within the Gymnich and the priorities of the Italian Presidency

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, VIII LEGISLATURE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 2 SEPTEMBER 2014.

On 2 September 2014, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Federica Mogherini, delivered a speech before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament concerning the conclusions of the last Gymnich and the priorities of the Italian Presidency of the EU. She focused the attention on some of the key topics, such as the threat coming from ISIS, the conflicts in the areas of Syria, Iraq and Gaza and the need to tackle those problems by means of a regional approach. As to the issue concerning Ukraine and Russia, after recalling the Council conclusions that envisage a new package of sanctions, she said:

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Intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

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SANTIAGO (CHILE), ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, 5 AUGUST 2014.

On 5 August 2014, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, gave a keynote speech at the headquarters of the Economic and Social Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). In her intervention, the Minister focused on Europe’s past and future ties to Latin America, and underlined the capital importance of regionalism as a means to pursue peace and prosperity. 

She said:

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A Speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, on the Recent Developments of the Situation in the Gaza Strip

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CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 274th MEETING, 29 JULY 2014.

On 29 July 2014, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, delivered a speech before the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament on the conflict between Hamas and Israel. After expressing sorrow, on behalf of the Italian Government and people, for the casualties suffered on both sides, she highlighted the complexity of the conflict. Thus, to avoid any oversimplification, she briefly illustrated the political context of the whole region, showing how much the situations of Syria, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon and Jordan are interrelated. Then, referring to the end of the “Skyes-Picot order”, she called all the Middle-Eastern actors to assume direct and shared responsibility in the regional politics, together with Italy and Europe. Pointing out that the conflict cannot be examined through biased eyes, and that the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians – respectively, to live in peace and security and to have a sovereign State – are legitimate, she added:

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A Statement at the Human Rights Council on Behalf of the EU on the Situation in the Gaza Strip

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HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, 21st SPECIAL SESSION, HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY, INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM, 23 JULY 2014.

On 23 July 2014, the Permanent Representative of Italy at the Human Rights Council, Amb. Maurizio Enrico Serra, expressed the position of the EU with respect to the Human Rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The statement took place in the context of a debate on Israel’s military operation ‘Protective Edge’, which has started on 7 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, and on the escalation of rocket fire against Israel. At the outset, Amb. Serra specified that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Iceland, Serbia, Albania and Liechtenstein aligned themselves with his statement. 

He then stated: 

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A Statement of Italy on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 68th SESSION, HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, 10 JULY 2014.

On 10 July, Ms. Sabrina De Camillis, of the Italian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, took part in a high-level meeting aimed at assessing the achievements in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). She underlined that Italy was the first European country to enact a rule prohibiting smoking in enclosed workplaces and public places, as well as a country where selling tobacco and alcoholics to minors is forbidden. Highlighting the fact that the fight against NCDs passes through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle rather than through thoughtless food-labelling, she said:

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A Speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, on the Italian Presidency of the EU

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III COMMISSION OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES AND THIRD COMMISSION OF THE SENATE, XVII LEGISLATURE, 11th MEETING, 3 JULY 2014.

On 3 July 2014, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, delivered a speech before the III Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and the 3rd Commission of the Senate on the recent foreign policy developments in relation to the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).

The Minister highlighted the importance of a new chapter in the European foreign policy, which Italy will try to initiate during its Presidency and is expected to further continue under the Presidency of Luxembourg and then of Latvia. Priority has to be accorded to foreign policy measures that enhance relations with Eastern and Southern countries. Furthermore, other global topics and scenarios will be the subject of specific strategies. The Italian Presidency will focus on Asia, Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East and Northern Africa, including Libya, and continue monitoring crises areas.

As to Ukraine, the Minister said:

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Matteo Renzi’s Speech before the European Parliament as Italy takes over the Presidency of the EU

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, VIII LEGISLATURE, FIRST PLENARY SESSION, 2 JULY 2014.

On 2 July 2014, the President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Matteo Renzi, gave a speech before the European Parliament as Italy took over its six-month Presidency of the European Union.

In his speech, Mr. Renzi put particular emphasis on the need to boost economic growth. He said:

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