Week in Review
Welcome Sister Elsa!
Farewell Sister Lourdes
We welcomed Sister Elsa and said farewell to Sister Lourdes this week.
The Staff of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See was delighted formally to welcome a member of staff this week. Sister Elsa Nacianceno, a Missionary Catechist of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, a Filipino religious institute founded in 1958 by the Venerable Alfredo Maria Obviar, is the new Financial Officer and Archivist of the Holy See Mission.
Sister Elsa replaces Sister Lourdes Nerva, who spent the past three years working at the Mission in New York. Sister Lourdes has returned to her native Philippines to enjoy an active retirement at the Institute’s Mother House in Quezon Province, south of Manila.
Statements
The Rule of Law at the National and International Levels
On October 14, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave a statement before the Sixth Committee of the Seventy-fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda item 83, dedicated to the "The Rule of Law at the National and International Levels." The statement was delivered by Monsignor Fredrik Hansen.
In his statement, Archbishop Auza mentioned Pope Francis' address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps earlier this year about the need for relationships between States to be based on justice and law and about the framework of international law as mechanism to resolve problems and differences between States. Archbishop Auza welcomed the Secretary-General's report on strengthening the rule of law at the United Nations and expressed his hope that it will achieve its aim to build independent justice systems that can work towards increasing accountability at an international level and assure access to justice for the marginalized and vulnerable. The Holy See, he said, supports U.N. initiatives seeking to promote the rule of law as a means to achieving peace, fairness, human rights and multilateral relations. He joined the Secretary-General's call for renewed efforts to address the challenges to the rule of law and underlined that there can be no rule of law unless lawyers and judges are free to uphold it.
His statement can be found here:
The scope and application of the
principle of universal jurisdiction
On October 17, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave a statement before the Sixth Committee of the Seventy-fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda Item 84, dedicated to "The scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction." The statement was delivered by Monsignor Fredrik Hansen.
In his statement, Archbishop Auza condemned the atrocities of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes perpetrated against innocent people, particularly those from religious and ethnic minorities, and citizens of fragile and failed states. He appealed to the Committee and to States continue to work without ceasing to ensure that violations against human rights are investigated and those responsible for such acts are punished. While the principle of non-interference and the sovereign equality of States should be acknowledged, he said, we have a duty to ensure that those who are responsible for committing atrocity crimes are held accountable and to safeguard the rule of law at both national and international levels. Auza spoke about the principle of subsidiarity which he said must be present in discussions about international jurisdiction. The Holy See appreciates the Secretary-General's report and the work of Member States on applying universal jurisdiction and hopes that there will be unified and resolute action to "deter future atrocities and ensure justice for the victims."
His statement can be found here:
Globalization and Interdependence
On October 17, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave a statement before the Second Committee of the Seventy-fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda item 20, dedicated to the "Globalization and Interdependence." The statement was delivered by Monsignor Fredrik Hansen.
In his statement, Archbishop Auza called for collective global effort to tackle poverty and hunger. The Holy See sees the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a means through which these challenges can be addressed. Archbishop Auza described the international community as a "family of nations," interconnected across many spheres including trade, technology, health, and migration. While globalization provides a means through which we can work together toward the common good, to be healthy, it must be globalization must be built upon human fraternity and solidarity and resist unilateralism, exclusionary nationalism, the domination of the powerful over the weak and the imposition of the ideologies of the haves over the have-nots.
His statement can be found here:
The eradication of poverty and
other development issues
On October 16, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave a statement before the Second Committee of the Seventy-fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda Item 22, dedicated to the "Eradication of poverty and other development issues." The statement was delivered by Monsignor Fredrik Hansen.
In his statement, Archbishop Auza commented on the high rates of poverty that exist in the world today, particularly in developing countries. He stated that in spite of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is not yet on track to eradicate extreme poverty by this date. He mentioned a number of factors, including economic downturns, conflicts and natural disasters, that are inhibiting progress efforts toward eradication. Archbishop Auza emphasized that poverty is not only a result of a lack of economic development and requires more than economic measures to effect the changes needed. Quality education, employment, maternal healthcare and social services must be at the heart of a people-centered approach to development and poverty eradication.
His statement can be found here:
General and Complete Disarmament
On October 18, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave a statement before the First Committee of the Seventy-fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda Item 72, dedicated to "General and complete disarmament." The statement was delivered by Monsignor Fredrik Hansen.
In his statement, Archbishop Auza recalled the words of Pope Francis who, in a 2017 address, condemned both the use and the possession of nuclear weapons. The Pope called on the international community to substitute an ethos of fear flowing from the threat of mutually-assured destruction with one of fraternity and solidarity. Archbishop Auza pushed for action toward the total elimination nuclear weapons and urged those States who currently possess such weapons to reconsider plans to improve their nuclear capacities. He exhorted all governments who have not already done so to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. While the Disarmament Commission has the capacity to build confidence in meeting the goals of nuclear disarmament, he said, it has not, as yet, been able to achieve this goal. He called on its Members to make concerted effort to overcome the current impasse and to achieve global security without reliance on nuclear weapons.
His statement can be found here:
Sustainable Development
On October 15, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave a statement before the Second Committee of the Seventy-fourth Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda item 19, dedicated to "Sustainable Development." The statement was delivered by Monsignor Fredrik Hansen.
In his statement, Archbishop Auza cited the Papal Encyclical Laudato Si', caring for our common home, in which Pope Francis called for reflection on the current state of the world and for consideration on the kind of world we want to leave those who come after us. To protect the dignity of each person and to promote the common good, he said, we must ensure that the demands of development align with those of human dignity, and that the natural resources of the planet are not treated as inexhaustible resources. We must consider, he said, not only the environment itself, but the meaning and values of our humanity," which requires employing sustainable development in a holistic, ethical way, what Pope Francis calls "integral ecology.” Archbishop Auza also spoke about the importance of intergenerational solidarity in sustainable development and about ensuring that our words about the importance of protecting our common home are translated into actions.
His statement can be found here: