BOLZANO. In a meeting at Geneva with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turkthe president of the Province of Bolzano, Arno Kompatscherdiscussed the idea of a possible cooperation with the United Nations for the planned Documentation Centre for the Protection of Minorities and Autonomy in Bolzano.
Also the permanent representative of Italy to the international organizations in Geneva, the ambassador Vincenzo Grassitook part in the interview which took place in Palais Wilson. The discussion focused on the possibility that South Tyrol, in collaboration with the United Nations, could, a note explains, “contribute to a better international understanding of the pacifying effect of autonomy models in the protection of minorities”.
Various forms of possible cooperation were discussed, including the contents of the planned Documentation Centre for the protection of minorities and autonomy with the participation of the United Nations and the joint organization of events. “Building solid cooperation requires mutual trust and time. The goal of the talks was to lay a good foundation,” explained Kompatscher.
During the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New Yorkthe South Tyrolean president had already discussed the principle of “responsibility to share” with high-level representatives, i.e. the responsibility to share positive experiences with the world, arousing interest.
Recently, the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajanitook up the idea at the G7 summit in Brindisi and discussed it with the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres. “Many armed conflicts in the world can be traced back to minority issues. This highlights the inestimable value of South Tyrol’s autonomy,” the provincial president emphasized. Thanks to the intervention of the United Nations, South Tyrol has succeeded in pacifying an ethnic conflict in a border region with complex historical, political, economic and social relations between majority and minority.
South Tyrol’s willingness to collaborate with the United Nations must be seen in this context. “If our work can shorten or avoid even one of the many conflicts going on in the world, it will have been worth it,” concludes Kompatscher.
2024-08-13 06:05:41