Pope Francis calls for “relief from international sanctions” that affect civilians

During a video he gave before the United Nations General Assembly, Pope Francis on Friday lamented the erosion of the multilateral system and called for an end to the “climate of suspicion” in international relations.

“We must end the current climate of skepticism,” he said. We are currently facing the erosion of the multilateral system, which is increasingly dangerous.

The pontiff asked, without mentioning any country, “the relaxation of international sanctions” that, in his opinion, affect the civilian population in the first place.

He once again denounced the “deviant logic” that links guaranteeing security to “possession of weapons,” adding: “We must get rid of this perverted logic that links personal or national security with possession of weapons. This logic only contributes to increasing the income of the arms industries ”.

The Pope also wanted the United Nations to be more effective, especially for the Security Council to become “more united and determined.”

He noted that “our plague-ridden world needs the United Nations to become a more effective instrument of peace.” This means that the members of the Security Council, especially the permanent members, must act with greater unity and determination.

“And in this sense, the adoption of the global ceasefire during the current crisis constitutes a noble measure that requires the good will of all to continue its implementation,” he said.

“We must ask ourselves whether the main threats to peace and security, such as poverty, epidemics and terrorism, can be dealt with effectively when the arms race continues, including nuclear weapons,” the Pope’s official website quoted the Pope as saying. Vatican.