Statements
General Debate
Second Committee
On October 10, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the General Debate of the Second Committee of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly.
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that the Holy See believes that development cannot be restricted to economic development alone, but must be integrally human, fostering the development of each person as a whole. He said that last year that some delegations lost focus on holistic development and sought to shift the deliberations of the Second Committee to various controversial issues germane to other Committees. Respect for fundamental human rights and human dignity, he said, are essential to the eradication of poverty and promotion of integral human development. The phrase human rights cannot become a rhetorical catch-all, endlessly expanded to suit the tastes of the age and often undermining the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is key to maintain, he said, an authentically humanistic vision that looks at others as allies not competitors.
The statement can be found here.
Macroeconomic Policy Questions
and the Follow-up and Implementation of the
Outcomes of the International Conferences
on Financing for Development
Second Committee
On October 11, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Second Committee deliberations of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Items 18 and 19, dedicated respectively to the themes of “Macroeconomic policy questions” and the “Follow-up to and implementation of the outcomes of the international conferences on financing for development.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza commented upon the UN Secretary-General’s recent reports on macroeconomic questions, particularly in international trade and development, the international financial system, external debt stability, financing for development, fragile economic growth trends, and the precarious situation of Least Development Countries (LDCs). He said for LDCs, structural changes are needed to reduce their vulnerability to external price shocks and to improve duty- and quota-free access to international markets. The promotion of integral human development, he said, requires a financial paradigm shift to one that better fosters social inclusion and equity.
The statement can be found here.
Agriculture Development,
Food Security and Nutrition
Second Committee
On October 12, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Second Committee deliberations of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 26, dedicated to the theme of “Agriculture development, food security and nutrition.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza expressed alarm that, despite the international community’s commitment to end hunger by 2030, the number of chronically undernourished people worldwide increased to 815 million in 2016, mainly because of ongoing and expanding conflicts. Humanitarian assistance may avert famine, he said, but is not sufficient by itself to address the root causes of hunger and starvation. He called for investments in agriculture, improved opportunities for agricultural trade, and increased productive capacity. He said that the problem of hunger and malnutrition also flows from unequitable distribution, because food does not reach those who are hungry due to problems in transport, sale, and preservation, as well as unfair trade, exploitative market conditions, violent conflict and the culture of waste. He mentioned Pope Francis’ criticism of the false solution for hunger reduction by eliminating the number of mouths to feed through population control and abortion policies. Ultimately food security, he concluded, will be achieved only through the principle of love for humanity.
The statement can be found here.
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Advancement of Women
Third Committee
On October 8, 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 29 dedicated to the “Advancement of women.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza spoke about the global reality of violence against women and girls, particularly through the scourge of human trafficking and modern forms of slavery, which Pope Francis has called a crime against humanity. He praised the work of women-led anti-slavery movements, particularly the work of women religious. He spoke to stamping out the demand for the commodification of women’s bodies and the duty in justice to arrest and prosecute traffickers. He also addressed violence and intimidation against women in politics and the prevalence of physical, verbal and cyber violence against women and girls, saying we must work for a culture that repudiates every form of violence. He mentioned that women and girls often suffer from a “throwaway culture” that doesn’t consider them, especially at the beginning or end of life, useful, and said that we must find ways to acknowledge and support the unsung contributions of women who sustain and transform families and communities.
The statement can be found here.
Promotion and Protection
of the Rights of Children
Third Committee
On October 10, 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 Item 70, dedicated to the theme of the “Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a laudable instrument whose priorities and obligations are a reference point and stimulus for action to protect the fundamental rights of children. He called attention to the Convention’s recognition of the irreplaceable role of the family in welcoming, nurturing, educating, caring for and loving children. In response to 5.6 million children dying in 2016, mostly from preventable causes, he said quality maternal and child health care must be available to all. He encouraged the promotion of a culture that allows children to enjoy the right to education and to become responsible within the family and within the community. He also spoke to the situation of children in conflict situations and children who are migrants and refugees.
The statement can be found here.
Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Third Committee
On October 12, 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 Item 71, dedicated to the theme of the “Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that the UN has made significant progress in promoting and protecting the cultural values, patrimony and human rights of indigenous people and praised the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the active participation of indigenous peoples in the annual UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Despite the progress, he said, threats remain. He called attention to the Amazon basin, where extraction has led to environmental degradation, deforestation and displacement of indigenous peoples and some land conservation policies have disrupted essential aspects of indigenous economies. The Amazon cannot be seen as a resource-rich region to be exploited or as a place where the protection of the natural environment trumps the rights of indigenous peoples, he said. At a practical level, the indigenous must participate in every deliberation that directly affects them and they should be assisted to preserve their culture and traditions without reducing their cultures to a museum of a bygone way of life.
The statement can be found here.
The Rule of Law at the
National and International Levels
Sixth Committee
On October 9, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Sixth Committee deliberations of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Items 86 dedicated to “The Rule of Law at the National and International Levels.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that the work of the United Nations both develops and promotes the rule of law, justice and good governance at the national and international levels. The heart of the rule of law, he says, lies in respect for, and implementation of, justice and fundamental human rights at the national and international levels. The UN Charter recognizes respect for and observance of the rule of law as one of the UN’s four pillars, he said. For the rule of law to succeed, the Archbishop added, human rights must be supported by effective, accountable and inclusive procedures and institutions, especially an independent judiciary. He concluded by mentioning Pope Francis’ affirmation of the Universal Declaration of Human Right’s recognition that the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world is the recognition of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.
The statement can be found here.
The Scope and Application of the
Principle of Universal Jurisdiction
Sixth Committee
On October 11, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Sixth Committee deliberations of the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Items 87 dedicated to “The Scope and Application of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that the Sixth Committee is entrusted with furthering the cause of justice in the world and he zeroed in on the issue of redressing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The creation of universally agreed jurisdictional norms to ensure that such atrocity crimes are investigated, prosecuted and punished is important, he stated. There is a need to balance, he added, between sovereign equality, non-interference and the immunity of State officials on the one hand, and the duty to hold people accountable for atrocity crimes on the other. Such legal accountability must be consistent with the principles of criminal justice and firmly rooted in the principle of subsidiarity, he said. To exercise universal jurisdiction, he said, the State where the forum is held should be connected to the facts or parties of the case and should not be done in absentia. Particular care, he noted, should be given when setting aside jurisdictional immunities of public officials. He said that the Holy See supports further study of the topic through the Working Group established for that purpose, through the International Law Commission, and in line with the recommendations of Resolution 70/119.
The statement can be found here.
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