FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7 October 2024
On 7 October 2024, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, issued two statements at the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly: the first on agenda item 107, crime prevention and criminal justice, and the second on agenda item 109, international drug control.
In his remarks on crime prevention and criminal justice, Archbishop Caccia reaffirmed that preventing and countering crime is indispensable to building safe, just, and stable societies. Noting that crime disproportionately affects those in vulnerable situations, and that poverty, poor education, and unemployment are all major risk factors that lead to crime, Archbishop Caccia underscored the importance of quality education and fair labor standards, as well as the critical role of the family.
Archbishop Caccia also highlighted some crimes of particular concern, notably trafficking in human organs and child trafficking and exploitation, and called upon States to strengthen their legislative and law enforcement frameworks. He also stressed that human dignity must be respected while imposing penal sanctions, noting that true justice is not satisfied by simply punishing criminals, but rather is essential for reintegration into society.
Addressing the issue of international drug control, Archbishop Caccia drew attention to the ongoing global drug crisis, particularly the opioid epidemic and the rise of new psychoactive substances. He called for a renewed international commitment to combat drug trafficking, adapting to evolving challenges.
He proposed a threefold approach. First, support for effective and humane criminal justice systems that prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration, while advocating against the death penalty and torture. Second, an emphasis on comprehensive treatment programs for drug users that uphold their dignity and provide holistic support. Finally, recognizing the key role of education in preventing drug addiction, he called for initiatives to instill values and inform children about the dangers of drug use, beginning within families and schools.
The text of the statements follows.
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia
Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See
at the General Debate of the Third Committee of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly,
on international drug control
New York, 7 October 2024
Mr. Chair,
Fifteen years after the adoption of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the scourge of drug use continues to spread: the world is facing a severe opioid crisis, while new psychoactive substances have taken over a significant part of the international illicit drug market.
Mr. Chair,
Moved by the devastating effects of narcotic drugs on individuals, families, and society, and motivated by the desire to contribute to efforts to prevent and contrast the production and distribution of illicit drugs, the Holy See calls for a threefold approach based on law enforcement, appropriate care for those suffering from addiction, and prevention through education.
First, the Holy See supports every initiative aimed at establishing an effective, just, humane and credible criminal justice system to prevent and contrast illicit drug production and trafficking. At the same time, the Holy See urges the international community to reject the death penalty, torture and other cruel and unusual punishments that violate human dignity. Criminal justice systems must not merely seek the punishment of the guilty, but should rather seek to ensure their effective re-education and adequate reintegration into society.
Second, the Holy See advocates for the implementation of programs designed to assist drug users through treatment, psychological support and rehabilitation, thus helping them to fully live their God-given dignity. Such a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach should take into account the human person as a whole and go beyond one-off interventions and permissive solutions that do not help people to end their drug addiction.
Finally, the Holy See deems it essential to “educat[e] young people in values that build personal and community life”[1]. Education is the key factor in preventing drug addiction, both because it is the basis for integral human development and because it helps children and youth to understand the harm caused by drugs. Misinformation that downplays the risks of drugs is prevalent on social media and, regrettably, children can be exposed to it at an early age. For this reason, education efforts should start within the family and at school and include up-to-date scientific information on how drugs negatively affect the brain, body, personal behavior and community.
Mr. Chair,
My Delegation wishes to call for a renewed commitment to the existing framework of international cooperation to prevent and contrast the illicit traffic of drugs, while adapting it to the new forms of production and distribution that are plaguing our societies. At the same time, it recognizes that the fight against “this scourge, which produces violence and sows suffering and death, demands an act of courage from society as a whole.”[2]
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[1] Pope Francis, General Audience on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26 June 2024.
[2] Idem.
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia
Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See
at the General Debate of the Third Committee of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly,
on crime prevention and criminal justice
New York, 7 October 2024
Mr. Chair,
Preventing and countering crime is indispensable to building safe, just and stable societies. It is in this spirit that my Delegation wishes to pay special tribute to all law enforcement and judicial personnel killed or injured in the performance of their duties.
Regrettably, crime disproportionately affects those in vulnerable situations. Poverty, poor education, and unemployment are all major risk factors that lead to crime. Hence, any strategy aimed at preventing crime should be informed by a perspective that approaches human development in an integral way. It should also include measures such as the promotion of quality education and fair labor standards for the construction of peaceful communities. Such strategies must additionally support the family as “the natural and fundamental group unit of society.”[1]
Mr. Chair,
Of particular concern are the crimes of trafficking in human organs and the trafficking in persons for the removal of organs. Undoubtedly, the donation of organs, if performed in an ethically acceptable manner and with a view to healing the sick, is a particularly praiseworthy act.[2] Hence, organ donation must always be based on the donors’ informed and voluntary consent and in a manner respectful of the dignity of both donors and recipients. Unfortunately, criminal groups often exploit the vulnerability of persons in need to obtain their consent for organ removal and trafficking. Equally troubling is the trafficking in organs of people who have suffer the death penalty. The Holy See calls upon all States to strengthen their legislative and law enforcement frameworks to prevent and combat the trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal as well as the trafficking in human organs.
Special efforts must also be made to prevent and counter child trafficking and child exploitation on the internet. As Pope Francis has noted, “tragically, the use of digital technology to organize, commission and engage in child abuse at a distance, cutting across national borders, is outstripping the efforts and resources of the institutions and security agencies charged with combating such abuse; as a result, it becomes quite difficult to fight these horrific crimes effectively.”[3]
On the other hand, human dignity must be respected while imposing penal sanctions, particularly when dealing with the most serious crimes. Pope Francis has called judges to exercise an empathetic justice, a justice that understands extenuating circumstances and context, a justice that is “attentive to the least and their integration.”[4] This principle applies in particular to the death penalty, which the Holy See deems inadmissible, not only because it infringes on the sacredness of life but also because there are better means to protect public order and the safety of persons.[5]
Conditions of detention must also respect the dignity of the persons detained. Cruel and unusually harsh conditions of detention have grave consequences: in fact, suicide is the cause of one in ten deaths in prison.[6] True justice is not satisfied by simply punishing criminals. It is essential to reform, improve, educate and reintegrate the condemned persons into society.[7]
Mr. Chair,
To be fully effective, criminal justice cannot be deaf to the plea for rehabilitation and redemption. Without rehabilitation, justice cannot be fruitful nor truly just.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[1] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art. 16.3.
[2] Cfr. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, n. 86.
[3] Pope Francis, Address to the Participants in the Congress on “Child Dignity in the Digital World”, 14 November 2019.
[4] Pope Francis, Address to the National Association of Magistrates, 9 February 2019.
[5] Cfr. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, n. 56.
[6] Cfr. UNODC, Prison Matters 2024: Global Prison Population and Trends; A Focus on Rehabilitation, p. 5.
[7] Cfr. Pope Francis, Address to a Delegation of Lawyers from Council of Europe Member Countries, Signatories of the Vienna Declaration, 21 August 2023.
