“By asserting human rights, democracy and rule of law we can more effectively combat the deep sources of threat to international security”. This was Minister for Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi’s message – read by Under-Secretary Marta Dassù – at the opening of the second cycle of encounters with students at the foreign ministry on the promotion of human rights.
“Our prosperity and our prestige, Terzi underscored, “depend heavily on regional and global security, which is, in turn, a function of meeting the legitimate expectations of development, freedom and dignity of all peoples”, and is therefore “in our own precise interests to see to it that our neighbours enjoy the benefits of rule of law and democracy”.
The minister then cited Italy’s international efforts on behalf of freedom of worship, the campaign against the death penalty, women’s rights, the campaign against female genital mutilation and children’s rights, especially in armed conflict. Recalling “the interdependence of human rights”, Terzi asserted “the need for the various actors concerned to have a shared strategy”, and to work toward “consensus in multilateral forums”.
The theme of human rights is linked with equal opportunity, as Minister for Welfare Elsa Fornero underscored, who also holds the Prime Minister’s Office remit for equal opportunities. And it is precisely labour market reforms that the government is examining, the Minister explained, with the goal of boosting opportunities, especially for women and young people, and increasing “inclusion, dynamism and universal social protections”, and “dismantelling protections and breaking down barriers that, although they may be inspired by good principles, in reality sanction privileges”.
