Nuclear deterrence incompatible with UN goals, Vatican envoy argues
October 22, 2015
In an October 22 address to a UN committee on disarmament, the Vatican’s representative said that “nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction are irreconcilable with, and contrary to, an ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence among peoples and among states.”
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the permanent observer of the Holy See at UN headquarters in New York, lamented the failure to reach agreement on a comprehensive nuclear test ban, and the lack of progress toward an agreement to stop production of weapons-grade nuclear materials. He urged the UN “to redouble its efforts” on both fronts.
The archbishop welcomed a new accord between Russia and the US, calling for a reduction in nuclear arsenals. He also applauded the nuclear agreement between Iran and the European Union.
“Non-proliferation, arms control, and disarmament are vital elements of advancing global security and stability,” the archbishop said.
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