Italy and Human Rights

Italy and Human Rights

By virtue of its culture and tradition, Italy is highly active on human rights issues, which are an essential component to international peace and security. Our commitment to human rights is based on an approach in which dialogue and openness are founded upon universal principles and values. This is accompanied by support to social and economic development in disadvantaged countries through cooperation programs.

Italian action to protect and promote human right is the world is carried out through a number of bilateral and multilateral instruments. It also involves civil society in our Country and, in particular, citizens’ associations active in this field.

Within the context of the United Nations, our Country actively participates in the work of the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly’s Third Commission, the Commission on the Status of Women and other UN bodies for the establishment and reinforcement of common standards in the field of human rights and for the creation of mechanisms to protect and promote human rights.

In addition Italy:

• Supports the role and activities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and contributes financially to its programs;
• Cooperates with independent experts and UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights thematic issues and country-situations worldwide;
• Provides all the required information and submit periodic reports to Treaty Bodies in charge of the implementation of International Conventions on Human Rights to which Italy is a part of.

Italy and Human Rights in the UN: The Human Rights Council

One of the most significant developments in recent years was the decision to set up the Human Rights Council, which in 2006 replaced the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, with the task of promoting universal respect and defence of human rights, intervening in cases of their violation and fostering coordination with other bodies within the UN system. Italy has been a member of the Human Rights Council between 2007 and 2010 and is candidate to a second term of membership between 2011 and 2014. Within the Council Italy has been actively working in the “Universal Periodic Review”, the system of international scrutiny on human rights that interests all countries of the UN.

Priority Issues

Our efforts on human rights have been particularly intense with regard to a series of issues of priority: the campaign for the abolition of the death penalty; the protection of freedom of religion or belief; the Rights of the Child and most especially children affected by armed conflicts; the rights of women, and particularly the fight against female genital mutilation; the fight against racism and xenophobia; the promotion of democracy and the rule of law.

Death Penalty

Italy gives high priority to the international campaign against death penalty. We are convinced that abolition of capital punishment contributes to the strengthening of human right and the death penalty has no added value in terms of public safety or deter crime. Furthermore, it makes irreversible any miscarriage of justice.

In December 2007, after a long campaign and a difficult negotiation, the General Assembly adopted with 104 votes in favour, 54 against and 29 abstentions a historic resolution on moratorium of capital punishment. The following year, together with a trans-regional alliance formed by 89 co-sponsors, we have promoted a second resolution, approved by the General Assembly with a greater number of votes (106) and a smaller number of votes against (46). The same trend continued in 2010 with the adoption of a resolution on the moratorium of the death penalty by the Third Committee, first, and on December 22nd 2010 by the General Assembly, with 107 votes in favour. This trend, as underlined by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his latest report of the death penalty of August 2010, confirms the trend by the international community toward abolition.

The adoption of the resolution remains a single step toward the goal of completely abolishing the death penalty. An objective which is still distant, when we learn that thousands of death sentences are carried out each year: the case of Sakineh Ashtiany, in September 2010 sentenced to stoning in Iran, is sadly symbolic but unfortunately it is not the only case that asked our mobilization.

It is an ambitious target on which the Government will continue to work with conviction, in harmony with Parliament and with civil society, whose support is of paramount importance for our action.

Freedom of religion

The promotion of freedom of religion of belief and the protection of religious minorities are keys priorities of Italy’s human rights foreign policy.

Last year, after attacks against religious minorities, particularly Christians, Italy strongly supported conclusions on this issue by the General Affairs and External Relations Council and the subsequent adoption of an “EU Action Plan”, which was officially launched in July 2010. This plan contains several concrete measures by the EU to protect religious freedom in the world. They are divided into four areas, namely: bilateral action, multilateral initiatives, financial support through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, training and capacity building.

At multilateral level, our country, along with EU partners, promotes each year in the General Assembly the traditional UN resolution on religious intolerance. The resolution adopted in 2010 by the General Assembly has, thanks to Italy’s action, special features that link the increase in violence against religious minorities and the duty of every State to exercise the utmost vigilance to prevent and punish those responsible.

This initiative is connected to the one on “defamation of religions”, presented by the Islamic Conference, which instead is problematic in many aspects. The concept of defamation or “vilification” of religions goes back to the idea that there is a legal gap to be bridged in order to protect the believers from any form of criticism to Islam and its symbols, whereas we consider that the “defamation of religions” is not a human rights’ concept and that it can be used to limit freedom of expression and religion.

Children’s rights, especially children in armed conflict

Italy has traditionally been on the forefront in the defence and promotion of the rights of children, who unfortunately continue to be the victims of exploitation, slave trade and violence, especially in theatres of war. Italy’s strategy for the protection of boys and girls sees the Ministry of Foreign Affairs playing an essential role in political initiatives as well as development cooperation.

Italy together with the EU confirmed its leading role in this area with a number of initiatives at the UN. Among others, the resolution, presented annually to the General Assembly along with the Latin-American group, on the Rights of the Child, has to be mentioned. It contains far-reaching recommendations, in order for children to enjoy all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights without any discrimination.

The protection of children affected by armed conflict is a further priority in Italian action in favour of children worldwide. Our commitment in this area has been particularly intense both in the EU, through the adoption of “Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict”, and within the Security Council, where a working group dealing with violations committed against children in armed conflict has been established. Also to be reminded is the launching in 2008 of the “Network of Children Formerly Affected by War” (composed by former child-soldiers who are now international activists for this issue.), together with UNICEF and the UN Secretariat.

Women’s rights

The theme of women’s rights is particularly dear to our Country, which is engaged in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in the international scene. Despite major progress achieved in recent decades, women and girls continue to be victims of physical and psychological violence, exploitation and despicable trafficking in many areas of the world. Political, civil, social and economic progress on any country cannot do without the full participation and complete involvement of women on an equal basis in government decision-making on training and education.

In 2009, within the framework of the Italian G8 presidency, an international conference on violence against women was organized in Rome. This event was organised by the Ministry of Equal Opportunities faintly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference, for the first time in the context of the G8, allowed for a thorough discussion about violence against women in all its various forms.

Italy was also at the forefront in the negotiations that in recent years led the Security Council’s Resolutions on sexual violence in situations of armed conflict, in order to recognize the link between the fight against all forms of sexual or gender based violence and international security. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the Action Plan of Italy, for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security”, which explicitly mentions the impact of war on women and women’s contribution to conflict resolution and sustainable peace.

Since January 1st 2011, Italy seats in the Executive Council of UN Women, the new entity of the United Nations in charge of gender equality and the advancement of women. We believe that UN WOMEN represents an added value and should have a leading role in the context of gender policies at international level.

With regard to Female Genital Mutilation, Italy is actively engaged for the elimination of this practice, which affects more than 140 million women worldwide.

Thanks also to Italy’s commitment in the UN, an international group aimed at promoting greater international coordination on this issue and, in particular, the presentation by the African Group of a resolution on FGM in the General Assembly was formed. The General Assembly, in fact, has never adopted a resolution specifically dedicated to FGM. Currently, an intense campaign to support this initiative is being conducted in New York and in African capitals.

The Italian commitment to the promotion of gender rights at international level was also recognized by the Secretary General of the United Nations, which called Minister Frattini to be a part of a “Network of Men Leader”, launched in New York in November 2009, committed to the elimination of violence against women.

Fight against racial discrimination and xenophobia

Italy is aware of the need to increase efforts, including at international level, to combat racism, xenophobia and all forms of related discrimination. For this purpose domestic and international law tools as well as measures in the field of human rights, education and promotion of dialogue between different ethnic groups and cultures are necessary.

In combating all forms of discrimination, Italy has strongly supported the International Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Promotion of Democracy and the Rule of Law

The promotion of democracy and the rule of law is carried out primarily through institutional building projects and partnerships with governmental institutions, parliamentarians and civil society in different countries, with particular regard to situations of post-conflict training programs in the judicial field. Our country also participates actively in electoral observation missions of the European Union and OSCE in many countries of the world.