Holy
See: int'l cooperation needed to end Mideast conflicts
(Vatican
Radio) The Holy See has renewed its call for international cooperation to
bring to an end the conflicts in the Middle East and help care for the millions
of refugees from Iraq and the Syrian war.
In
a speech to the United Nations Security Council during an open debate Thursday
on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian, question,”
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the
Holy See to the UN, said the “dramatic humanitarian situation” in Syria is
“particularly preoccupying.”
Calling
for a renewed commitment by all to achieve a political solution to the
conflict, he said “we should not continue to look helplessly from the sidelines
while a great country is being destroyed.”
He
described the so-called Islamic State group terrorizing the region as a
“terrorist plague” that must be thwarted with the unified cooperation of the
entire international community.
Lebanon
and Jordan, which host millions of refugees, he added, bear the brunt of the
Syrian conflict and urgently need the world’s solidarity.
He
noted the Holy See’s hopes that the institutional vacuum of Lebanon’s
Presidency (constitutionally held by a Christian but vacant for more than a
year) will soon be filled.
He
reiterated the Holy See’s concern for the region’s minority communities,
particularly its Christians, who have been forced from their homes and welcomed
the recent accord reached between Iran and the 5+1 group of nations.
Recalling
the Comprehensive Agreement signed by the Holy See and the State of Palestine
in June, Archbishop Auza said it is hoped that the Agreement will stimulate the
“achievement of a two State solution, bringing a definitive end to the
longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Below
please find the official text of Archbishop Auza’s remarks:
New
York, 23 July 2015
Mr
President,
My
Delegation congratulates you on New Zealand’s Presidency of the Security
Council this month and commends you for convening this timely open debate
on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question.”
The
Holy See continues to monitor closely the situation in the Middle
East, which is deeply afflicted by
various conflicts that continue to intensify.
Unfortunately, the international community, which
seems to have become accustomed to
these conflicts, has not yet succeeded
in working out an adequate response.
Particularly
preoccupying is the situation in Syria,
where the dramatic humanitarian situation
affecting more than half of the
population calls for renewed commitment by
all in order to arrive at a
political solution to the conflict. We should not continue to
look helplessly from the sidelines while a great country is being destroyed.
The situation in Syria requires putting aside many particular interests in
order to prioritise those of Syria and of the Syrians themselves.
In
Syria as well as in Iraq, we
continue to be gravely concerned about
the terrorist acts perpetrated by the so-called “Islamic State.” This is
a challenge not only for the region but for the entire international community,
which is called upon to cooperate with unity of purpose in order to
thwart this terrorist plague, which is expanding its activities into
different countries.
Having
to take care of millions of refugees, Lebanon and Jordan also bear the
brunt of the conflict in neighbouring Syria. They urgently need the
solidarity of the whole international community.
The
Holy See hopes that the Land of the Cedars will be able to resolve, as
soon as possible, this period of
institutional instability, arising largely from
the vacancy for over a year now of the Presidency of the Republic.
While
being aware of the sufferings of entire populations, I wish to point out
the difficulties that Christians and other minority ethnic and religious
groups are experiencing, forcing many of them to leave their homes. The
diminution of the Christian presence is a grave loss for the entire
region, where Christians have been present since the very beginnings of
Christianity and where they wish to continue cooperating with their
fellow citizens in building harmonious societies and
working for the common good, as
promoters of peace, reconciliation and development.
My
delegation wishes to express appreciation
for the agreement which has been reached between
the Islamic Republic of Iran and the 5+1 group.
On
June 26 this year, the Holy See
and the State of Palestine signed the
Comprehensive Agreement that follows the
Basic Agreement between the Holy See and the
Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) of 15 February 2000. This
Agreement is indicative of the progress made by the Palestinian Authority
in recent years, above all in the level of international upport it
has acquired, as exemplified by UN Resolution 67/19, which, inter alia,
recognizes Palestine as a non-member Observer State.
The
Holy See hopes that this Agreement may in some way be a stimulus to the
achievement of the two-State solution, bringing a definitive end to the
longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict that continues to cause suffering on
both Parties, and that the Agreement may offer, within the complex
reality of the Middle East, a good example of dialogue and cooperation.
As
Pope Francis said during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land last year: “The
time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative
in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace that
rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States to exist
and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized
orders.”1
In
this context, my delegation wishes to reiterate that the peace process
can move forward only if it is
directly negotiated between the Parties,
with the support of the international community.
Thank
you, Mr. President.
1Meeting with Palestinian
Authorities, Bethlehem, 25 May 2014.
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