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Agenda item 86: The Scope and Application of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction
On October 20, The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN gave an intervention before the Sixth Committee of the 70th Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 86, which concerns “The Scope and Application of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction.”
By H.E. Archbishop Bernardito AuzaApostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations

October 20, 2015

On October 20, The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN gave an intervention before the Sixth Committee of the 70th Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 86, which concerns “The Scope and Application of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction.”

In its brief statement, the Holy See said that properly understood and applied in line with the principle of subsidiarity, universal jurisdiction can aid the international community to defend the weak and prevent impunity especially in the context of atrocities against human rights and violations of humanitarian law. In order to prevent it from being used for political or ideological purposes, however, the Holy See stated that universal jurisdiction must be firmly based on substantive and procedural international norms.

The statement can be read in full here.