Statements
UN Peacekeeping Operations:
Women in Peacekeeping
Security Council
On April 11, 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, “United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Women in Peacekeeping.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that the UN Security Council committed itself in 2000 to increase the representation of women in peace processes, protect them from violence during armed conflict and facilitate their participation of agents of change in peace work on the ground. He said that women bring courage, professionalism, responsibility and a special sensitivity to peace operations and also play an essential role in rebuilding trust and facilitating reconciliation at local levels and in emerging democratic and legal processes. Their participation at every stage of the peace process, he said, is necessary and invaluable. He added that female leadership is often found in faith-based communities, which have a large and lasting role in peace work and should be further harnessed particularly in regions where religion has been manipulated to incite division. He finished by thanking all peacekeepers, women and men, and urged continued inclusion of women in the peace and security agenda.
The statement can be found here.
100th Anniversary of the
International Labor Organization
High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
On April 11, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that ILO’s centenary is an opportunity to renew the commitment to collaborate for social justice. He noted that ILO’s motto, “If you desire peace, cultivate justice,” and its Constitution, which emphasizes that “universal and lasting peace can be established only if it based upon social justice,” is something that for 100 years the organization has been striving to establish, but he asked whether after 100 years, work conditions and the role of labor are still considered cornerstones to social justice and peace. He praised the ILO’s Global Commission Report on the Future of Work for recognizing the importance of anthropology, specifically how work is a necessary component of human fulfillment but one that must be harmonized with other parts of human nature, like the importance of family and community. Work, he said, is important, above all, for forming a person’s character and dignity in accordance with personal creativity and responsibility. He also addressed the issues of access to work and social security protections for those who cannot work, as well as the necessary legal, political and ethical underpinnings to ensure fairness in employment and not reducing the dignity of workers to commodities. He finished by emphasizing that the Holy See looks forward to continued collaboration with the ILO.
The statement can be found here.