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Mr. President,

Food security is a priority for the Italian Government’s development assistance policy. In 2009, under Italy’s presidency, the G8 adopted the “L’Aquila Food Security Initiative”: a new and inclusive mechanism that has been joined by more then 40 countries and funded several food security projects for an estimated 22 billion dollars. We are still paying careful attention to policies aimed at mitigating the effect of agricultural price volatility.

The availability of high-quality, healthy and sustainable food for all humankind is the historical and concrete challenge being taken up by Expo 2015 in Milan. The theme, “Feeding the Planet,” is crucial to the global agenda – from the Millennium Development Goals to Rio+20 and its Zero Hunger Initiative, as well as the G8 and G20 processes – and is particularly relevant to the work of the United Nations system.

All UN Member States have been invited and so far almost 100 Countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation.

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In closing, Mr. President, I wish to respond to the appeal you launched in your opening address. Yes, Italy will make an active contribution to the efforts aimed at “revitalizing” this body, the General Assembly, by enhancing its role and efficiency.

Today more than ever the world needs the authority of the United Nations. The reform of the Security Council is a key element of this agenda, and we are very much counting on your assistance in making it happen. An effective Security Council is crucial not only to meeting challenges to peace, but also to creating a better international order. An equitable reform of the Council is a matter of continuing legitimacy rather than of increasing the national power of select member states. The principles of accountability, consensus and regional empowerment must continue to inspire our commitment.