On October 6, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave an intervention during the Sixth Committee debate on Agenda Item 84 dedicated to “The Rule of Law at the National and International Levels.”

In his statement, Archbishop Auza said that efforts to strengthen the rule of law at the national and international levels must be evaluated by whether they have had a tangible, measurable impact on the most vulnerable. He praised the UN’s efforts to improve access to justice for disempowered people living in areas remote from legal institutions. He said that international treaties must be respected and implemented, rather than just formally entered, and insisted on the protection of lawyers and judges who apply the law in the service of justice.

His statement can be found here.