Speaking to a committee reviewing the 1971 [nuclear weapons] Non-Proliferation Treaty, Archbishop Janusz Urbanczyk reiterated the Vatican's position.

The committee was meeting for the United Nations' Organisation of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Urbanczyk, who is the Holy See's representative to the OSCE, says the Vatican is working for a world where nuclear weapons are "completely prohibited".

He asked the representatives at the OSCE to "dig into their diplomatic toolbox" to find ways to encourage individual countries.

Don't just limit yourselves to ensuring your own citizens are alright, he said.

"Work actively for the global growth of peace, which humanity very much needs today.

"Nuclear weapons provide a false sense of security, as do efforts to secure a negative peace through a balance of power," he said.

He told them although countries must protect their own security, "real security is "strongly linked to the promotion of collective security, the common good and peace."

Rather than the negative security nuclear weapons offer, Urbanczyk said peace can only be built on "human values present in all individuals, peoples, cultures, religions and philosophies".

Although many of the world powers have signed the Treaty, others have signed but not yet ratified it. They include the US, China, Egypt, Israel and Iran.

India, Pakistan and North Korea have not signed it yet.

Source

• The Tablet
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: The Nuclear Weapon Archive