UN General Assembly
2008

agreements, and the new chapter in relations between Lebanon and Syria. In Afghanistan, the continuation of the international commitment should be accompanied by a gradual assumption of responsibility by the local authorities and forces and the participation of neighbouring countries in the stabilization process. In the Caucasus, the recent crisis indicates the need, there and elsewhere, to strengthen regional cooperation mechanisms and prevent a competitive dynamic that would lead to high costs and low benefits. More than two hundred years ago a great Italian political philosopher Cesare Beccaria wrote, “The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation.” True to these words, so deeply rooted in my country’s democratic vocation, Italy joins in the common effort to build a world of peace, security, sustainable development and a new democratic, transparent and effective global governance.