FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 10, 2016

On June 10, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Protection of Civilians in the Context of Peacekeeping Operations.”

In his statement, Archbishop Auza described how in recent decades the protection of civilians has become part of UN peacekeeping mandates, something that, while a positive development, also points to the disturbing fact that civilians are increasingly being targeted during armed conflicts and used as weapons of war. Protection of civilians, he said, must be one of the primary yardsticks to gauge the success of peacekeeping operations. He mentioned the need for prevent peacekeeping missions in those places where latent conflicts could explode and for arms control lest the sale, manufacture and gifting of weapons be used to harm the civilian population and infrastructure. Archbishop Auza praised the work overall of the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic and especially during the visit of Pope Francis in November 2015 while noting the serious allegations against a few and how much work there still remains to be done.

His statement can be found here.