“The victims of conflicts cannot wait years of negotiations and talks”; therefore, the Holy See deems “necessary and binding a basic reflection on the nature and use of secondary ammunition (designed to explode after being thrown or ejected from a parent ammunition, editor’s note)" which "must be subjected to a moratorium”. With these words, mgr. Silvano Maria Tomasi, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, spoke over the last few days at the XV session of the Group of Government Experts of the signatory states of the “Convention on the prohibition or restriction on the use of some conventional weapons that can be considered harmful or have unwanted effects” (Cww), which ended in Geneva on September 6th. In his speech, published today by the Vatican newsroom, mgr. Tomasi denounces the “humanitarian tragedy that is spreading" in Lebanon "in front of our eyes” and rejects the assumptions of those who "consider these weapons legitimate”. “Every weapon he stated has been defined as legitimate before being prohibited or subjected to restrictions on its use. Hasn’t this been the case of chemical, biologic, incendiary or laser weapons? The fact of declaring a weapon legitimate does not make it more acceptable or less inhuman “. As well as the moratorium, the Vatican diplomat also asks the signatory states of the Cww to commit themselves "to start talks and negotiations" to "eradicate the risks associated with secondary ammunition”.
