The President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, released the following statement to mark the 80th United Nations Day:

 "The eightieth anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Organization provides Italy with the opportunity to reaffirm its support to multilateralism, of which the UN –an international organization with a universal mission– constitutes the cornerstone.

Eighty years after its coming into force, we cannot forgo the necessity of underscoring the core values enshrined in the United Nations Charter –formulated under the three pillars of peace, development and the protection of human rights– and of reaffirming the duty to promote them on a daily basis, in support of the dignity of every population and of every individual.

 Italy’s commitment to the United Nations, in compliance with the provisions made under Art. 11 of the Constitution, constitutes the backbone of our Country’s foreign policy. Believing and investing in the United Nations means converting into concrete actions the principle of international solidarity and of a world order based on respect for the rules. It means promoting the logic of collaborating between States as an alternative to subduing. Now, in the face of compelling global challenges and the alarming spread of armed conflicts, these convictions appear all the more well-founded and decisive.

The UN is not an unnecessary diplomatic embellishment or forum of debate and an end in itself: on it depends the fate of a pacified and cooperative Community of States, aimed at realizing the noble ideals of those who conceived its foundation in the wake of the disastrous tragedies of last century’s two world wars.

In this perspective, the Italian Republic remains firmly determined to commit to enabling the UN to develop into an organization increasingly capable of responding to the crises and challenges of our times by supporting the 'UN80' Initiative launched by the Secretary General and promoting a reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, responsible and effective".