Mr. Chair of the General Assembly,
Mr. Secretary General,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Permanent Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me, first and foremost, to express, on behalf of the Italian Republic, my deepest appreciation for the work that this Commission continues to carry out with balance, authority, and a profound sense of responsibility in promoting the strengthening of multilateral cooperation in the fields of crime prevention, criminal justice, the protection of the rule of law, and international security, at a historical moment in which the geopolitical, economic, and technological transformations affecting the international system are rapidly reshaping not only global strategic balances, but also the very nature of the threats weighing upon our societies, our democratic institutions, and the collective security of the international community.

To address this Assembly today is, indeed, to participate in a reflection that transcends the purely technical dimension of judicial cooperation and public security, for the issues debated within this forum directly concern the future of the international order founded upon law, the capacity of the United Nations to continue serving as the central pillar of global multilateral governance, and the very possibility of preserving an international system grounded not upon force, unilateralism, or geopolitical fragmentation, but rather upon cooperation, respect for the sovereignty of States, the protection of the fundamental rights of the human person, and the primacy of shared rules over the logic of domination and coercion.

Transnational organized crime, international terrorism, cyberterrorism, trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering, systemic corruption, criminal infiltration into legitimate economies, illicit arms trafficking, trafficking in cultural property, environmental crimes, hybrid threats, information manipulation, and the growing criminal misuse of emerging technologies now constitute deeply interconnected phenomena capable of destabilizing economies, undermining democratic institutions, distorting financial markets, exacerbating social fragilities, and ultimately threatening the security, prosperity, and trust that citizens place in the rule of law and in democratic governance.

We are living in an era in which transnational criminal organizations have acquired unprecedented operational capacities, exploiting the opportunities created by economic globalization, financial interdependence, the digitalization of economies, and the expansion of global technological infrastructures, thereby enabling them to operate simultaneously across multiple jurisdictions, to employ increasingly sophisticated systems for concealing illicit assets, and to take advantage of regulatory asymmetries between national legal systems in order to consolidate their economic, logistical, and financial power.

Contemporary mafias can no longer be interpreted solely as territorial or localized phenomena.

They now operate as flexible, technologically advanced, and highly adaptive global networks capable of infiltrating international markets, exploiting vulnerabilities within digital infrastructures, manipulating transnational financial flows, and establishing increasingly close connections with other forms of organized crime, terrorist organizations, and, in certain instances, even hostile State actors.

The Italian Republic possesses profound awareness of the gravity of these threats, as the history of our democratic Republic has been marked by a long, difficult, and painful struggle against mafia organizations, a struggle that has demanded enormous sacrifices from the institutions of the State, from the judiciary, from law enforcement agencies, from civil society, and from entire communities that have courageously resisted violence, intimidation, and the culture of illegality.

In remembering Giovanni Falcone, Paolo Borsellino, Francesca Morvillo, Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, Rosario Livatino, Piersanti Mattarella, and all innocent victims of organized crime, Italy reaffirms before this Commission a conviction forged through the sacrifice of generations of public servants: the fight against organized crime is, above all, a defense of democracy, economic freedom, human dignity, and the very credibility of democratic institutions themselves.

It was precisely through the experience developed by Italy in combating mafia organizations that the international community was ultimately led to the adoption, in Palermo in 2000, of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which continues today to constitute one of the fundamental pillars of the global multilateral architecture against organized crime.

The Palermo Convention represented a historic turning point, insofar as it definitively recognized both the transnational character of organized criminal networks and the necessity of an international response founded upon judicial cooperation, mutual legal assistance, information-sharing, coordinated investigations, and strengthened instruments for combating money laundering and illicit financial flows.

Italy continues to work resolutely toward strengthening the effectiveness of this multilateral architecture, while supporting the central role played by UNODC, international judicial cooperation networks, and the agencies engaged in combating transnational criminal organizations.

In this regard, I wish to underscore the essential contribution provided by the Italian judiciary, the National Anti-Mafia and Counter-Terrorism Directorate, the District Anti-Mafia Directorates, the Guardia di Finanza, the Carabinieri Corps, the State Police, the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate, and the Italian authorities that work on a daily basis within international frameworks to combat drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, and international money laundering.

The Italian Republic actively participates in the activities of Europol, Eurojust, Interpol, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, making a substantial contribution to multilateral operations aimed at dismantling transnational criminal networks, in the firm conviction that no State can today confront alone threats that simultaneously operate within the physical sphere, the digital domain, and global financial markets.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

the digital revolution and the technological acceleration of recent decades have profoundly transformed both the nature of contemporary criminality and the very concept of international security.

Cyberspace now constitutes one of the principal strategic domains of the twenty-first century, an environment that simultaneously offers extraordinary opportunities for human, scientific, and economic progress while also generating new systemic vulnerabilities increasingly exploited by criminal organizations, terrorist groups, and hostile actors.

Digital infrastructures now represent the nervous system of our contemporary societies.

Energy systems, transportation networks, healthcare services, telecommunications, financial systems, strategic supply chains, industrial networks, public administrations, and essential public services depend increasingly upon the security of cyber infrastructures and the resilience of global information systems.

The compromise of such infrastructures may produce devastating consequences for national security, economic stability, and the daily lives of millions of citizens.

Ransomware attacks against hospitals, cyber sabotage targeting energy networks, intrusions into banking systems, coordinated disinformation campaigns, illicit trafficking in personal data, the criminal use of cryptocurrencies, and cyber operations directed against critical infrastructures all demonstrate how cyberspace has become one of the principal arenas of contemporary strategic competition.

It is for this reason that the Italian Republic considers cybersecurity a national and European strategic priority.

The establishment of the Italian National Cybersecurity Agency marked a fundamental step in strengthening Italy’s digital resilience, protecting critical infrastructures, and building a coordinated system for the prevention, monitoring, and response to cyber incidents.

At the same time, Italy has adopted a National Cybersecurity Strategy aimed at strengthening prevention and response capabilities against cyberattacks, promoting the security of public and private networks, developing advanced digital expertise, and fostering closer cooperation between institutions, universities, the private sector, and the scientific community.

The Italian Republic likewise considers the strengthening of European cybersecurity to be of fundamental importance through the implementation of the NIS2 Directive, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the broader European initiatives aimed at consolidating the strategic autonomy of the European Union within the digital and technological sectors.

Italy firmly believes that European technological sovereignty constitutes an essential component of the continent’s democratic resilience and of Europe’s ability to protect its strategic infrastructures, sensitive data, and economic systems from external threats.

Within this framework, cooperation among the Member States of the European Union assumes indispensable strategic value.

Italy strongly supports the strengthening of ENISA’s operational capacities, the role of Europol in combating cybercrime, and European initiatives aimed at promoting common standards in digital security, interoperability, and the protection of critical infrastructures.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

the Italian Republic firmly reaffirms the full applicability of international law to cyberspace.

The norms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, customary international law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law must fully apply within the digital domain as well.

Cyberspace cannot become an area exempt from law and international responsibility.

Nor can it become a space dominated by impunity, destabilization, and the systematic violation of the fundamental principles governing international coexistence.

Italy therefore strongly supports the work undertaken within the framework of the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies, as well as all initiatives aimed at promoting responsible State behaviour in cyberspace, confidence-building measures, and international cooperation mechanisms for the prevention and management of cyber incidents.

The Italian Republic considers that cyber operations of particular gravity, capable of causing significant material damage or compromising essential critical infrastructures, must be assessed in light of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations concerning the use of force and the inherent right of self-defense.

Likewise, Italy reaffirms the full applicability of international humanitarian law to cyber operations conducted in the context of armed conflicts, in the conviction that even emerging technologies must remain subordinate to the fundamental principles of humanity, proportionality, and the protection of civilian populations.

It is within this context that the resolution promoted by Italy within the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice concerning the strengthening of cyber infrastructures to counter cyberterrorism and cybercrime must be understood.

This initiative reflects the conviction of the Italian Republic that global cybersecurity must be built through a multilateral, inclusive, and cooperative approach founded upon international partnership, technological capacity-building, and support for the most vulnerable States.

Indeed, the resolution emphasizes the importance of multilateral partnerships, public-private cooperation, and collaboration with civil society as essential instruments for strengthening global cyber resilience.

Italy considers support for developing countries in strengthening digital infrastructures, training qualified personnel, and developing national capacities for the prevention of and response to cyber incidents to be of particular importance, in the awareness that global digital security is indivisible and that vulnerabilities affecting a single system may rapidly generate destabilizing consequences on an international scale.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

the fight against organized crime, cybercrime, and transnational threats cannot be addressed exclusively through repressive or security-oriented measures.

It requires strong institutions, sustainable development, social inclusion, education, administrative transparency, judicial independence, and citizens’ trust in democratic institutions.

There can be no lasting security without social justice.
There can be no legality without economic opportunity.
There can be no stability without credible institutions.

For this reason, the Italian Republic continues to strongly support the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and, in particular, Sustainable Development Goal 16 concerning the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, universal access to justice, and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

Italy remains deeply committed to international development cooperation, institutional capacity-building processes, and the promotion of democratic legality, particularly within the African continent and the Mediterranean region, where security, development, stability, and economic cooperation are inextricably interconnected.

For the Italian Republic, the Mediterranean represents not merely a geographical space, but a fundamental strategic dimension in which energy security, maritime security, regional stability, migration, economic cooperation, and the fight against illicit trafficking converge.

Within this framework are situated the Mattei Plan for Africa, the strengthening of cooperation with the African Union, Italy’s support for institutional capacity-building processes, and the commitment of the Italian Republic to building partnerships founded upon mutual respect, sustainability, and shared growth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

at a time characterized by the return of power politics, geopolitical fragmentation, and increasing regional tensions, the United Nations remains the principal multilateral safeguard of peace, security, and international cooperation.

What is needed is a United Nations that is more effective, more representative, and more capable of responding to contemporary challenges.

Italy will continue to firmly support the strengthening of the multilateral system, the reform of international institutions, and the central role of the United Nations as the indispensable cornerstone of global governance.

Allow me, in conclusion, to recall the words of Alcide De Gasperi, one of the great architects of European democracy and modern multilateralism, who observed that “the future will not be built through force, nor through the desire for conquest, but through the patient application of the democratic method, the spirit of cooperation, and respect for freedom.”

It is a lesson of extraordinary relevance.

The global challenges of the twenty-first century — from transnational organized crime to cyberterrorism, from hybrid threats to attacks against critical infrastructures — require from the international community an unprecedented collective effort.

They demand multilateral cooperation, shared responsibility, mutual trust, and a renewed centrality of international law and multilateral institutions.

The Italian Republic will continue to act with responsibility, determination, and a spirit of cooperation so that technological progress, digital transformation, and scientific innovation may remain instruments of freedom, human development, and shared prosperity, rather than becoming instruments of destabilization, arbitrariness, and domination.

For only by strengthening together international law, global justice, cybersecurity, and multilateral cooperation will we be able to guarantee a safer, freer, and more just future for present and future generations alike.

Thank you very much for your attention.