Holy See, 2010

On behalf of the Holy See, I am pleased to

warmly congratulate you, Mr. President, on your

election as President of the General Assembly at its

sixty-fifth session, and to offer our best wishes for the

successful fulfilment of your mandate. In this new

period of work for the General Assembly, the Holy See

wishes to offer its genuine collaboration in tackling the

numerous challenges faced by the international

community. The 65 years of existence of the United

Nations are a unique event in history in and of

themselves, particularly when contrasted with the

annihilation of hopes placed in the peace conferences

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of the beginning of the twentieth century, and later in

the League of Nations.

The existence of the United Nations shows that

humankind has found in the Organization a response to

the terrifying tragedies of the two World Wars. Despite

the imperfection of its structures and its way of

functioning, the United Nations has sought to bring

solutions to international problems in the economic,

social, cultural and humanitarian fields, and has tried

to fulfil the mandate given to it by its Charter, namely

to be a centre for the coordination of the action of

States with a view to the maintenance of peace and

friendly relations among peoples.

The dialogue among the representatives of States

that is renewed every year in the plenary of the General

Assembly, which remains open and lively in the other

bodies and agencies of the United Nations family, has

been the basic tool for fulfilling this mandate. There

have been times when this dialogue has been, more

than anything else, a clash of opposing and

irreconcilable ideologies and positions. However, the

United Nations has become irreplaceable in the life of

the people of the world in the search for a better future

for all the inhabitants of the planet.

It is from the perspective of this productive

international dialogue carried out through the

discussions and deliberations that take place in this

Hall that I would like to recall important developments

related to international peace and security that took

place during the sixty-fourth session of the Assembly.

First of all, the Holy See welcomes the entry into

force on 1 August of the Convention on Cluster

Munitions. This instrument, which the Holy See was

among the first States to ratify, does represent an

important result for multilateralism, based on

constructive cooperation among Governments and civil

society, as well as the connection between

humanitarian law and human rights.

Another important result was the positive

conclusion last May of the eighth Review Conference

of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons with the publication of a consensus-

based document that provides for different actions

related to the three main pillars of the treaty: nuclear

disarmament, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Among these,

an important sign of hope was a decision to convene,

before 2012, a conference to establish a Middle East

zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of

mass destruction.

Furthermore, also in the area of peace and

disarmament, the first meeting, last July, in New York,

of the Preparatory Committee for a Conference on the

Arms Trade Treaty, which is set for 2012 is also worth

mentioning. This meeting showed that the process,

which has begun for the treaty, is shared by all States

that are aware of the need to legally settle the issue of

the arms trade for reasons of peace, humanitarian

protection and social and economic development.

In the context and spirit of successful

international dialogue, we should also welcome the

signing of the New START treaty between the United

States and the Russian Federation. That signing is a

step forward in relations among the nuclear Powers,

and the Holy See hopes that it will open new prospects

and lead to substantial arms reductions in the future.

Similarly, during this session of the General Assembly,

a High-level Meeting was held, some days ago, on

revitalizing disarmament negotiations, which was very

useful for discussing ways to give new life to the

Conference on Disarmament and to continue to build a

consensus on the major obstacles to agreement on

disarmament, in particular, the Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the Fissile Material Cut-

off Treaty. We must do everything possible to achieve a

world free from nuclear weapons, and the Holy See

supports all efforts along these lines.

During the previous session of the General

Assembly, the United Nations made an unprecedented

contribution to international cooperation and peace in

Haiti, where, during the earthquake of 12 January

2010, the head of the United Nations Mission,

Ambassador Hédi Annabi, died, as did his assistant,

Mr. Luiz Carlos da Costa, along with 82 other civil

servants and members of the peacekeeping forces. On

behalf of the Holy See, I would like to extend our

sincere condolences to the Secretary-General and the

national authorities of the States of the persons who

died, as well as their families and colleagues. Their

sacrifice should serve as an impetus for a new global

commitment to maintaining peace.

The Holy See has always recognized and

appreciated actions carried out by United Nations

peacekeeping forces. The important increase in

requests for intervention in recent years shows the

increased confidence in United Nations activities in

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cooperation with regional organizations, but it also

highlights the importance of the growing role played

by the United Nations and regional organizations in

preventive diplomacy.

Likewise, the action of the Peacebuilding

Commission remains fundamental to rebuilding the

social, legal and economic fabric that was destroyed by

war and to avoiding the relapse into conflict. Initiatives

to prevent conflicts, to peacefully resolve conflicts, to

separate warring parties and to promote reconstruction

deserve generous political and economic support from

all States Members of the United Nations. Support

from all would be an eloquent show of confidence in a

destiny based on solidarity for humankind.

If we think that normative developments with

regard to disarmament and the non-proliferation of

weapons have shown signs of progress, there are

reasons for concern with respect to the many obstacles

to global security and peace. Above all, military

spending in the world continues to be excessive and

even to increase. The problem of the exercise of the

legitimate right of States to the peaceful development

of nuclear energy in accordance with effective

international monitoring of non-proliferation remains

relevant. The Holy See encourages all parties involved

in settling various ongoing controversies, in particular

those with respect to the Korean peninsula and the

Persian Gulf region, as well as adjoining regions, to

carry out an honest in-depth dialogue that would be

able to harmoniously reconcile all rights of the nations

concerned.

The recent terrible natural catastrophes in

Pakistan add to the difficulties caused by conflicts that

have beset that region. In addition to the humanitarian

response, which must be generous, and other

associated measures, there must also be a broader

effort at mutual and deeper understanding of the causes

of the hostilities.

Moreover, genuine dialogue, trust and generosity

in putting aside peripheral or short-term interests are

the way to achieve a lasting solution to the conflict

between the State of Israel and the Palestinians.

Dialogue and understanding among the various parties

involved is also the only way to achieve reconciliation

in Iraq and Myanmar, for example, as well as to

resolve ethnic and cultural problems in Central Asia

and the regions of the Caucasus and to calm recurring

tensions in Africa, such as in the Sudan, just before

decisive elections.

There is a significant economic component to

most of those conflicts. Substantially improving the

living conditions of the Palestinian people and other

peoples living under civil or regional wars will no

doubt make a crucial contribution to transforming

violent opposition into patient and peaceful dialogue.

The High-level Plenary Meeting on the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) took place

here several days ago. All Member States once again

solemnly committed themselves to make every

necessary effort to achieve the MDGs by 2015. The

Holy See welcomes the reiterated will to uproot

poverty, which it hopes will resolutely be brought to an

end. However, it is important to underscore that we

will not achieve the Goals without fulfilling two great

moral imperatives.

On the one hand, it is essential that rich and

emerging countries fully honour their development

assistance commitments and immediately establish and

operationalize a financial and trading framework that

on the whole favours the weakest countries. On the

other hand, rich and poor alike should ensure an ethical

political and economic change that guarantees good

governance and eradicates all forms of corruption.

Otherwise, we risk reaching the year 2015 not having

achieved sufficient results, except — and this would be

sad and paradoxical — in the areas of population

control and promoting minority lifestyles, as

introduced in certain paragraphs of the recently held

summit. In that case, the Millennium Goals would

become a veritable fraud vis-à-vis the comprehensive

human development of peoples.

With regard to the environment, which is the

subject of Millennium Goal 7, the participation of more

than 115 heads of State and Government at the

Conference of the States Parties to the Framework

Convention on Climate Change held in Copenhagen in

December 2009 demonstrated the attention and

importance attached to an issue as complex as the

climate on the international agenda. The Holy See

hopes that the next session of the Conference of the

States Parties will take a political decision that will

make the negotiations on a legally binding agreement

more concrete.

At the heart of that debate is the establishment of

a development model based on a new energy system.

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Nevertheless, it is important to recall the ethical issues

associated with this matter. It is not just about

achieving a world less dependent on fossil fuels and

more devoted to energy efficiency and alternative

fuels, but about changing unbridled and irresponsible

consumption behaviour. As my delegation has often

observed with regard to the Millennium Goals, it is that

behaviour, and not population growth and improving

living conditions in less developed countries, that

places a growing and unsustainable burden on

resources and on the environment.

The positive results achieved by the international

community in the course of the Assembly’s previous

session would not have been possible without dialogue

among Governments, which are being joined with

growing determination and effectiveness by civil

society interlocutors. However, to be honest and

effective, that dialogue must be genuinely dia-logos —

an exchange of wisdom and wisdom shared. The

dialogue must move quickly from an exchange of

words and a search for balance among opposing

interests towards a genuine sharing of wisdom for the

common good.

It is precisely for that reason that Article 1 of the

Charter links the promotion of human rights with the

defence of peace, settlement of disputes and resolving

international problems of an economic nature. Nations

are not separate entities, independent of the peoples

who comprise them. The fundamental national interest

of all Governments should be the establishment and

maintenance of the necessary conditions for the full

development of the material and spiritual good of

every inhabitant of their countries. The promotion of

and respect for human rights are therefore the ultimate

goal of dialogue and international affairs, as well as the

indispensable conditions for genuine and fruitful

dialogue among countries.

The Holy See is also attentively following the

work of the Assembly’s Third Committee and of the

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

This statement in the general debate is also an

opportunity for me to express our support for the

Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees and all

specialized agencies and bodies working in the broad

field of human and humanitarian rights. In that regard,

the Holy See also believes that, although slow, the

progress made in the discussions on the principle of the

responsibility to protect is cause for hope.

Nevertheless, resolute and effective attention is still

lacking with regard to the problems of refugees, people

who have been forcibly expelled and large-scale

displacements.

The history of the development of human rights

itself illustrates that respect for religious freedom is the

cornerstone of the entire human rights architecture.

When that freedom is lacking, absent too will be the

recognition of the transcendent nature of every human

person, which entails a dignity that existed before, and

is superior to, the political and normative awareness

and that creates an irrepressible framework of freedom

and responsibility. If religious freedom falters, all

human rights are at risk of becoming something that

government grants — or, at best, the result of a balance

of social forces, which are variable by nature, because

they will have no foundation other than balance or

agreement itself.

Beyond criticism of the organizational limitations

and lack of effectiveness of the United Nations, we see

that there is a universally shared awareness of the need

for the Organization, as well as a universal feeling of

gratitude for its efforts. All of us understand that, by

virtue of its numerous bodies, the Organization

constitutes an essential forum for dialogue and

understanding between nations. The best way of

guaranteeing that the United Nations continues to carry

out its historic mission of coordinating and keeping all

States united around the common goals of peace,

security and comprehensive human development for all

will be to continuously focus on the dignity of all men

and women and effectively respect it, beginning with

the right to life — even of the weakest, such as unborn

children and the terminally ill — and religious

freedom.