Statements
Women, Peace and Security
Security Council
On October 25, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Security Council Open Debate dedicated to the theme of “Women, peace and security.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that when women have the ability to share their gifts, society is transformed for the better. Women’s capacity to listen, welcome and open themselves generously to others, to care for others and to promote familial and fraternal bonds, make the world more tender and livable for everyone, he said. He said that women must have equal participation and full involvement in peace, security and political engagement. He condemned the use of sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon of war and called attention to the activity of Catholic women religious in defending those enduring conflicts and humanitarian emergencies. He said that women and children in humanitarian emergencies must be provided access to basic healthcare, essential obstetric services, sanitary and food security, but insisted that services that promote and provide abortion are totally unacceptable. Humanitarian aid should save lives rather than operate against the right to life, and emergency situations cannot be used as an excuse to discriminate against and end the lives of the youngest members of the human family.
The statement can be found here.
Nuclear Disarmament
First Committee
On October 22, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the First Committee discussions of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly dedicated to the theme of “Nuclear Disarmament.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that a nuclear war would be unimaginably catastrophic, resulting in untold deaths, environmental damage and famine, and therefore the existence of 14,000 nuclear weapons constitutes one of today’s greatest moral challenges. He traced the history of the Catholic Church’s opposition to nuclear weapons from 1943 onward and underlined Pope Francis’ words that “nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence” and that the threat of the use of weapons “as well as their very possession is to be firmly condemned.” He said that nuclear weapon States have not fully respected their legal obligation to pursue good faith negotiations toward the elimination of nuclear weapons: the Non-Proliferation Treaty is 50 years old and no comprehensive negotiations for nuclear disarmament have taken place. He added that the recently adopted Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons could be a major step toward their elimination and strongly encouraged all Governments to join the Holy See in signing and ratifying it.
The statement can be found here.
Prevention of an Arms
Race in Outer Space
First Committee
On October 24, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the thematic discussions of the First Committee of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly dedicated to the “Prevention of an arms race in outer space.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that it is difficult to identify recent progress in disarmament. He praised the 1967 Treaty governing the exploration and use of outer space for clarifying that all exploration and use of outer space and celestial bodies like the moon will be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and for preventing placing any nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction in outer space. He said that the use of outer space for monitoring activities on earth, especially the monitoring and verification of nuclear arms reduction and elimination agreements, is very important. He welcomed the UN Disarmament Commission’s work on transparency and confidence building measures, which he said can dissuade States from feeling compelled to compete in an “arms race,” and asked whether the time has come to establish an International Satellite Monitoring Agency. He called on States not to test ballistic-missile-related systems in an anti-satellite mode and said consideration should be given to establishing “keep out” zones around space objects. Finally, he said that multilateral activities in outer space, like the International Space Station, can help prevent an arms race.
The statement can be found here.
International Cooperation in the
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
Fourth Committee
On October 25, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Fourth Committee deliberations of the Seventy-third Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda Item 53, dedicated to “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that over the last sixty years, while some have made use of outer space for military purposes, outer space has been used mostly for peaceful activities like meteorological observation, communications, navigation and scientific exploration. International cooperation is needed to keep outer space universally beneficial and said that the International Space Station is a model of such cooperation. He urged the development of “rules of the road” to prevent new space vehicles, including “Cubesats” from colliding with previous ones as well as for the eventual safe and responsible disposal of objects once their purpose has been fulfilled.
The statement can be found here.
Report of the International Law Commission
on the Work of its Seventieth Session
Sixth Committee
On October 25, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Sixth Committee deliberations of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly on Agenda item 82, dedicated to the “Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its seventieth session (Cluster I).”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that the global rise in sea-level, which will directly affect more than 70 States, is a major challenge that requires a global response with an integrated ethical approach. An integral ecology must balance, he said, marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the men and women who rely on them, in the present and the future. He welcomed the decision of the International Law Commission to consider the international legal implications of sea-level rise in terms of law of the sea, statehood, human rights and human migration and encouraged it to prioritize the question of the legal protection of migrants and internally displaced persons, which would fill a lacuna in international law and better prepare States, communities directly concerned, and the international community to face this challenge.
His statement can be found here.
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