On July 14, Archbishop Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See Mission to the UN, delivered a statement at a panel discussion dedicated to the launch of the Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes.
 
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said religious leaders play a major role in preventing atrocity crimes by promoting peace and interreligious dialogue, which influence the behaviors and mentalities of those in their communities, but they do not have the resources necessary to stop atrocity crimes. He emphasized that the national authorities of states have the primary responsibility to protect populations from atrocity crimes, with the help of the international community. Religious leaders do not only prevent incitement to violence through interreligious dialogue, but can foster the virtue necessary to build “peaceful and inclusive societies in which atrocity crimes are ethically unimaginable.”

His statement can be found here.