A leading Vatican diplomat said that the Holy See is “deeply concerned” by withdrawals from two international treaties: the Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines (1997) and the Convention on Cluster Munitions (2008).
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have withdrawn from the former treaty;
Lithuania, from the latter. China, Russia, and the United States have not signed either treaty.
Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, told participants in a recent UN General Assembly committee meeting that the withdrawals “threaten decades of progress in humanitarian disarmament.”
The prelate added that “the devastating humanitarian consequences of using explosive weapons in populated areas are a grave concern for the Holy See.”