PRESS AND INFORMATION SERVICE ITALY’S 2009 FOREIGN POLICY PRESS AND INFORMATION SERVICE ITALY’S 2009 FOREIGN POLICY 1) G8 PRESIDENCY: EMBRACING A NEW WORLD GOVERNANCE The L’Aquila Summit (8-10 July 2009) Economic themes Policy Areas a) response to the global a) Iran and Middle East economic/financial crisis b) fight against terrorism b) re-launching growth through c) Afghanistan-Pakistan new common rules stabilisation c) measures to ensure jobs d) North Korea d) anti-protectionism and free trade e) food security and climate change L’Aquila results 1) “The L’Aquila Statement on Non-Proliferation”, reviewed by the UN in September 2) “L'Aquila Joint Statement on Global Food Security”, the 5 points of L’Aquila discussed at the FAO Summit in Rome G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting (Trieste 25-27 June 2009) Principal results achieved: a) stronger non-proliferation regime b) greater coordination against piracy c) progress in regional cooperation on Afghanistan ________________________________________________________________ Other G8 events G8 Labour Ministers’ Meeting “Overcoming Nuclear Dangers” Conference “Destabilizing Factors and Transnational Threats” Conference G8 Development Ministers’ Meeting (“Global Governance for Global Solidarity”) International Conference on Violence Against Women G8 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 2) PEACEKEEPING CRISIS AREAS: ITALY ON THE FRONT LINES Italy and UN Peacekeeping ITALY: 1st European and G8 contributor to Blue Helmets • Italy: 11th of the 192 UN Members for its peacekeeping and security role • Italy: 6th financial contributor to UN peacekeeping missions: over 350 million dollars • Vicenza: Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for the training of police divisions to be deployed in peace missions: 2500 men from emerging countries trained in 3 years. • Italy: top contributor to the peace mission in Lebanon (command of which we have held for nearly 3 years) ________________________________________________________________ Afghanistan Italian Cooperation in Afghanistan: 2001-2008: 396 million euro (60 million in emergency initiatives) 2007-2009: initiatives approved for nearly 200 millioni Euro Cooperazione ad Herat, Farah, Baghdis: 53 million euro for a) agricultural development, b) governance c) civilian institutions. 2008-2010 : planned investments of 150 million euro Major programmes: • governance (justice, elections, local governance): voluntary contributions to ARTF-National Justice Programme, 10 million euro; • support for parliamentary and presidential elections 2009- 2010: 10 million; • rural development: bilateral contribution to National Solidarity Programme: 20 million euro; • infrastructures (Kabul-Bamyan road): total 104 million euro; women’s prison and correctional centre for minors; • healthcare: 2002 to 2009 Italy contributed with 6 million euro to the reconstruction of the Kabul hospital (maternity ward, surgery and burn centre) as well as its management. Annual contributions of approx. 4 million euro also to the provincial and pediatric hospitals of Herat, Baghlan clinic and an Anti-TB programme (with WHO) inHerat. • preservation of historical and cultural patrimony: contribution of 6,000 euro in 2009 to the ISIAO mission. ________________________________________________________________ Lebanon UNIFIL Mission, Italy contributes 2,500 men: the mission’s highest. UN forces in Lebanon, under the command of General Claudio Graziano: recognition of Italy’s important role since the 2006 crisis. 215 million euro for development programmes in the context of the Cooperation Encounter and Coordination Table ________________________________________________________________ Kosovo Italy: Top contributor to the Eulex mission with over 200 officials (police, judiciary and customs); Participation in the NATO/KFOR mission (approx.1800 units), holding its command (General Giuseppe E. Gay) from September 2008 to September2009. UN Secretary General’s Special representative: Lamberto Zannier. EU Representative in Northern Kosovo: Ambassador of Italy to Pristina, Michael Giffoni Italian contribution of 2 million euro “KSF Stand Up” trust fund . Italy main contributor of Officers and Second Officers as trainers (40 units). 12 million euro for infrastructure and economic reconstruction in Kosovo earmarked for agriculture, healthcare and preservation of cultural and religious patrimony. ________________________________________________________________ Somalia Italy one of the founders of the “International Contact Group”. Meetings in 2009 Rome 10 June New York 23 September Funds earmarked 2008-2009: 8 million euro: support for political reconciliation, institutions and governance; 12 million euro: through the African Union, for the AMISOM peacekeeping mission and the Somali security forces; 14 million euro: humanitarian and emergency aid. 3) HUMAN RIGHTS: COMPREHENSIVE COMMITMENT Promotion of democracy and rule of law Defence of children’s rights, especially children in armed conflict Fight against the use of torture and against xenophobia, racism and all forms of discrimination Ratification of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. Initiative for the defence of religious minorities around the world and more generally freedom of religion and worship. Italy’s commitment to abolition of the death penalty Defence and promotion of women’s rights (Rome, 9-10 September 2009) International Conference on Violence Against Women Female Genital Mutilation (New York, 25 September 2009) Italy convenes a meeting on the subject of female genital mutilation. An informal group is formed to promote greater international coordination both on the ground and the actions of the United Nations. Minister Frattini is invited by the Secretary General to be part of a "Network of Men Leaders" committed to eliminating violence against women. Freedom of Religion (Brussels 16-17 November 2009) On Minister Frattini’s proposal the EU Council reaffirms its strong commitment to the promotion and defence of freedom of religion and worship. 4) WESTERN BALKANS, TURKEY: EUROPEAN ENLARGEMENT MUST NOT STOP Italian Western Balkans initiative – 8-point plan Results: 1) Montenegro submits application for accession to the Commission for its opinion (23 April 2009), and Albania during the November GAERC; 2) resumption of accession negotiations with Croatia ; 3) abolition of visa regime with Serbia, FYROM and Montenegro in December 2009; 4) accession negotiations with FYROM launched (14 October) Italy proposes an EU-Western Balkans High Level Political Meeting to be held in Spain during its EU presidency. ________________________________________________________________ Turchia "Reminding Turkey of the commitments it has yet to fulfil does not mean questioning its final objective, which is full integration into the European Union". (Minister for Foreign Affairs Frattini) Turkey is one of Italy’s strategic partners: 1) Italo-Turkish dialogue (16-18 November Istanbul ), annual meeting between the two countries’ business communities and civil societies; 2) Italy takes part in the “Friends of Turkey” Group. 5) PERSIAN GULF COUNTRIES: A NEW FOCUS FOR ITALIAN FOREIGN POLICY Rome, 19 October 2009: “Gulf Cooperation Council Days”, held for the first time in Italy Strategic political partnership formed to work on the Middle East peace process and the stabilization of Afghanistan and Yemen. Joint bilateral Commissions - Joint Italy-Sultanate of Oman Commission: ROME, 9 to 10 June - Joint Italy-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Commission: Riyadh, 13 and 14 October 2009 Strategic Committee for the development of and protection of national economic interests abroad. FACT SHEETS __________________________________________________________ Italy’s contribution to the United Nations budget Based on the current contributions scale, Italy ranks sixth among major contributors to the ordinary budget of the United Nations, with a percentage of 5,079%, which means a 2009 contribution of 123,740,497 dollars. Added to this are other contributions to the “Capital Master Plan” (refurbishing of the UN building), and to the Special Tribunals for Ruanda and Former Yugoslavia, which bring the total up to 158,471,217 dollars. Italy also ranks sixth among contributors to peacekeeping budgets, with 335,357,519 dollars in 2008 and 269,192,614 dollars in 2009. Italy was among 23 of the UN’s 192 members that, as of 21 October 2009, had paid out on all the various budget items to which they were committed – of the top ten contributors to the UN budget, only Italy, Germany and Canada were included in this group. In 2009 Italy was elected to the following UN bodies: - Economic and Social Commission (ECOSOC) - Commission for Social Development (UNCSD) - Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) - Statistics Commission (UNSC) - Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Italy succeeded in having the UN General Assembly grant the International Olympic Committee the status of Assembly observer on 19 October 2009. It is therefore clear why, in thanking Italy for having promoted the initiative, the IOC’s highest authorities spoke of this as an “historic outcome”. Presentation of Italy as a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 2017-2018. Presentation of Italy as a candidate for the Human Rights Council (HRC) for 2011-2014. __________________________________________________________ Italy in senior NATO posts: - International Secretariat: Ambassador Claudio BISOGNIERO (U2) – Deputy Secretary General (through 30 September 2011)