On October 4, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Third Committee deliberations of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Items 109 and 110 dedicated respectively to “Crime prevention and criminal justice” and “International drug control.”

In his statement, Archbishop Auza described how terrorism and organized crime threaten human dignity and the common good. Technological developments, while beneficial, have been manipulated to make both terrorism and organized crime more harmful through cybercrime, hacking, computer forgery, fake news, child pornography, copyright infringements, sex trafficking of adults and children, and other abuses, he said. There is an urgent need, he said, to increase awareness, enact legislation to attack abuses, identify victims and prosecute those guilty of these types of cybercriminal behavior. Archbishop Auza also spoke out about the spread of drug abuse and illicit trafficking of narcotic and psychotropic substances. He restated the Holy See’s opposition to the legalization of drug use and underlined the importance of the family in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, reintegrated and health strategies. He encouraged the strengthening of international cooperation against drug trafficking and use as well as preventive and therapeutic medical treatment to curb demand and to help victims of drug abuse rediscover their dignity.

The statement can be found here.