On May 17, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave an intervention during the Security Council Open Debate dedicated to the theme of “Upholding international law within the context of the maintenance of international peace and security.”  

In his remarks, Archbishop Auza said that the UN’s efforts to promote the rule of law are essential to international peace and security. The Security Council in particular, he said, has the crucial responsibility to be fair and impartial in the application of the rule of law through its legally binding decisions and through ensuring that Member States prosecute serious international crimes and gross violations of human rights. Accountability, he said, is an essential component to strengthening the rule of law. National and international justice mechanisms, he added, can also help through crystallizing legal concepts and establishing jurisprudence.

His statement can be found here.