The Arab Spring has experienced difficulties, yet it has also scored a number of remarkable achievements. Nothing is easy, yet nothing is impossible.

But nothing can be achieved without good will and good faith, which we will need if we want to put an end to the ongoing massacres and the massive human rights violations in Syria. The regime in Damascus refuses to comply with the Security Council resolutions and it continues to commit indiscriminate violence against civilians. Italy fully supports the mission of the new Joint Special Representative for Syria and strongly urges the Security Council to overcome the stalemate that is preventing effective international action. History will not be lenient in judging those who bear responsibilities.

Nor can we underestimate the increasing danger of nuclear proliferation. Italy supports the IAEA’s commitment to obtaining clarification of the true nature of the Iranian nuclear program and we urge Iran to fully comply with all the relevant Security Council resolutions. Italy advocates more effective arms control regimes, and looks forward to concrete nuclear disarmament measures as proposed in President Obama’s Prague Appeal.

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Mr. President, Respect for the rule of law is the basic condition for promoting human rights and maintaining international peace and security. In this context, Mr. President, I welcome your proposal of the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means as the overarching theme for this Session of the General Assembly.

I am also pleased to announce that Italy is now ready to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in accordance with article 36 (2) of the ICJ Statute.

This is a defining moment for the ICJ, and for international jurisdictions in general, since they are the key institutions for interpreting international law and guaranteeing global compliance with its provisions. More and more, effective actions to assure international order and security demand respect for international law. The same holds true for actions to counter new threats, such as piracy, which is particularly troubling for its impact on the world economy and on the lives of seafarers.