Statement by Ambassador Bencini at the General Debate of the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York

The Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, Ambassador Leonardo Bencini, delivered yesterday the statement on behalf of Italy during the general debate of the First Committee (responsible for disarmament and security) of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Ambassador Bencini expressed concern over recent developments in the Middle East, condemning the attacks by Iran and the assaults on UNIFIL: ‘’We are concerned by the military escalation in Lebanon and dismayed at the loss of civilian life and the forced displacement it is causing. We call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, put an end to all hostilities immediately” the Ambassador urged.
He also listed the numerous actions taken by Russia in the last two and a half years following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, denouncing them as “irresponsible at best and gravely illegal at worst”, and as a direct attack on the multilateral disarmament architecture built over decades.
Italy continues to commit to nuclear disarmament, supporting the UN Pact for the Future and promoting progress in areas such as new military technologies, nuclear non-proliferation, and strengthening cooperation among member states. It was finally reiterated Italy’s full support for the entry into force of the CTBT, for strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and for the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines, placing particular emphasis on the role of civil society and the importance of gender perspectives.
The statement is available at the following link and video.