Yesterday, there was a High Level meeting held at the United Nations in New York. Invited to participate at this encounter were all member states of the General Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament ... at the highest political level.
During the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, held on 13 May 2013, it was agreed that this High Level meeting on nuclear disarmament would take place during the 68th session:
The Holy See enjoys Permanent Observer status at the United Nations and thus was invited to be present at this meeting as well. Representing the Holy Father, Pope Francis, was His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States. The text of Archbishop Mamberti's comments is posted this morning on the Vatican website, and is re-printed below as well.
Five years ago, the Secretary-General offered a Five-Point Plan for Nuclear Disarmament. It is past time for this plan to be given the serious attention it deserves. The centre-piece is the negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention or a framework of instruments leading directly to a global ban on nuclear weapons. This is a clear-cut goal, fully understandable and supportable by all those who truly want the world to move beyond the dark doctrines of mutual assured destruction.
It is now imperative for us to address in a systematic and coherent manner the legal, political and technical requisites for a world free from nuclear arms. For this reason, we should begin as soon as possible, preparatory work on the Convention or a framework agreement for a phased and verifiable elimination of nuclear arms.
The chief obstacle to starting this work is continued adherence to the doctrine of nuclear deterrence. With the end of the Cold War, the time for the acceptance of this doctrine is long passed. The Holy See does not countenance the continuation of nuclear deterrence, since it is evident that it is driving the development of ever newer nuclear arms, thus preventing genuine nuclear disarmament.
For many years, the world has been told that a number of steps will lead eventually to nuclear disarmament. Such argumentation is belied by the extraordinary nature of today's meeting, which surely would not have been called if they steps were working. They are not. It is the military doctrine of nuclear deterrence, politically supported by the nuclear weapons states, that must be addressed in order to break the chain of dependence on deterrence. Starting work on a global approach to providing security without relying on nuclear deterrence is urgent.
We cannot justify the continuation of a permanent nuclear deterrence policy, given the loss of human, financial and material resources in times of scarcity of funds for health, education and social services around the world and in the face of current threats to human security, such as poverty, climate change, terrorism and transnational crimes. All this should make us consider the ethical dimension and the moral legitimacy of the production, processing, development, accumulation, use and threat of use of nuclear arms. We must emphasize anew that military doctrines based on nuclear arms, as instruments of security and defense of an elite group, in a show of power and supremacy, retard and jeopardize the process of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
It is time to counter the logic of fear with the ethic of responsibility, fostering a climate of trust and sincere dialogue, capable of promoting a culture of peace, founded on the primacy of law and the common good, through a coherent and responsible cooperation between all members of the international community.
Thank you, Mister President
During the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, held on 13 May 2013, it was agreed that this High Level meeting on nuclear disarmament would take place during the 68th session:
Resolution A/RES/67/39In deciding to hold a High-Level meeting, Member States emphasized the importance of seeking a safer world for all and achieving peace and security in a world without nuclear weapons. Convinced that nuclear disarmament and the complete elimination of nuclear weapons are essential to remove the danger of nuclear war, the General Assembly recalled the resolve by Heads of State and Government, as contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, to strive for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, and to keep all options open for achieving this aim, including the possibility of convening an international conference to identify ways of eliminating nuclear dangers.
The Holy See enjoys Permanent Observer status at the United Nations and thus was invited to be present at this meeting as well. Representing the Holy Father, Pope Francis, was His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States. The text of Archbishop Mamberti's comments is posted this morning on the Vatican website, and is re-printed below as well.
Intervention of His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti
Vatican Secretary for Relations with States
Mr. President,
The General Assembly resolution calling for today's High-Level meeting on Nuclear Disarmament expressed the common conviction that the complete elimination of nuclear weapons is essential to remove the danger of nuclear war, a goal that must have our highest priority. The Holy See, which has long called for the banishment of these weapons of mass destruction, joins in this concerted effort to give vigorous expression to the cry of humanity to be freed from the spectre of nuclear warfare.
Under the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, states are enjoined to make good faith efforts to negotiate the elimination of nuclear weapons. Can we say there is good faith when modernization programs of the nuclear weapons states continue despite their affirmations of eventual nuclear disarmament? Concern over the proliferation of nuclear weapons into other countries ring hollow as long as the nuclear weapons states hold on to their nuclear weapons. If today's special meeting is to have any historic significance, it must result in a meaningful commitment by the nuclear weapons states to divest themselves of their nuclear weapons.
Five years ago, the Secretary-General offered a Five-Point Plan for Nuclear Disarmament. It is past time for this plan to be given the serious attention it deserves. The centre-piece is the negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention or a framework of instruments leading directly to a global ban on nuclear weapons. This is a clear-cut goal, fully understandable and supportable by all those who truly want the world to move beyond the dark doctrines of mutual assured destruction.
It is now imperative for us to address in a systematic and coherent manner the legal, political and technical requisites for a world free from nuclear arms. For this reason, we should begin as soon as possible, preparatory work on the Convention or a framework agreement for a phased and verifiable elimination of nuclear arms.
The chief obstacle to starting this work is continued adherence to the doctrine of nuclear deterrence. With the end of the Cold War, the time for the acceptance of this doctrine is long passed. The Holy See does not countenance the continuation of nuclear deterrence, since it is evident that it is driving the development of ever newer nuclear arms, thus preventing genuine nuclear disarmament.
For many years, the world has been told that a number of steps will lead eventually to nuclear disarmament. Such argumentation is belied by the extraordinary nature of today's meeting, which surely would not have been called if they steps were working. They are not. It is the military doctrine of nuclear deterrence, politically supported by the nuclear weapons states, that must be addressed in order to break the chain of dependence on deterrence. Starting work on a global approach to providing security without relying on nuclear deterrence is urgent.
We cannot justify the continuation of a permanent nuclear deterrence policy, given the loss of human, financial and material resources in times of scarcity of funds for health, education and social services around the world and in the face of current threats to human security, such as poverty, climate change, terrorism and transnational crimes. All this should make us consider the ethical dimension and the moral legitimacy of the production, processing, development, accumulation, use and threat of use of nuclear arms. We must emphasize anew that military doctrines based on nuclear arms, as instruments of security and defense of an elite group, in a show of power and supremacy, retard and jeopardize the process of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
It is time to counter the logic of fear with the ethic of responsibility, fostering a climate of trust and sincere dialogue, capable of promoting a culture of peace, founded on the primacy of law and the common good, through a coherent and responsible cooperation between all members of the international community.
Thank you, Mister President
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