Vatican diplomat laments disregard for humanitarian law in war
June 20, 2025
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CWN Editor's Note: Addressing a UN panel on international humanitarian law (IHL) in armed conflict, a Vatican diplomat lamented the atrocities that “are often committed under the guise of so-called military necessity or political demands.”
Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said on June 19 that “it is extremely alarming that, despite existing legal obligations, including the distinction between military and civilian targets, all conflicts end up indiscriminately affecting the civilian population.”
The prelate added:
It is clear that there is not only a crisis of compliance with the rules of war, but also a crisis of conscience. Therefore, International Humanitarian Law should not be regarded solely as a legal framework, but as an ethical charter, rooted in the values that inspire it.
Furthermore, the temptation to perceive the “other” as nothing but an enemy to be destroyed must be rejected. Moreover, in the current troubling context, the need for an educational process that disseminates IHL and its ethical foundation is more urgent than ever.
Archbishop Balestrero concluded his statement with a call for “full respect for IHL, concrete humanitarian gestures of good will such as the exchange of prisoners, the dignified return of the dead, and the protection and respect of hospitals and places of worship during armed conflicts.”
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