Holy See decries record-high military expenditure

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia

Source: Vatican News

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia has once again urged the international community to focus on disarmament and peace rather than fuelling further violence through military spending and new weapon technologies.

Addressing the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly on conventional weapons, on October 24, the Vatican Permanent Observer reiterated the Holy See's deep concern about the ongoing increase in the use, sale, and trafficking of these weapons, contributing to violence, death, and injuries in conflicts, crime-ridden areas, and through terrorist activities.

"As the world faces a third world war fought piecemeal the illicit proliferation and misuse of conventional weapons has become one of the most pressing security concerns at the national, regional and global levels," he said, referring to these weapons as "weapons of mass destruction in slow motion," responsible for significant loss of life and community destabilization.

Archbishop Caccia also reiterated the Holy See's alarm over the dramatic increase in global military spending, which hit a record $2.24 trillion in 2022, remarking that this unprecedented increase is indicative of a worrying trend of prioritizing military investment over addressing critical humanitarian needs, fostering human integral development and promoting global peace."

Echoing Pope Francis, insisted that the substantial resources currently wasted on weapons that cause destruction and harm "could be used to achieve genuine global security or invested in the eradication of poverty, hunger, and malnutrition."

While acknowledging the positive international efforts in disarmament, particularly the Program of Action (POA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and welcoming the Political Declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas, Archbishop Caccia warned of new ethical challenges, especially regarding the development of autonomous weapons without human oversight. He reiterated in this regard, the Holy See's support for a legally binding instrument to ban such weapons by 2026, while in the mean time calling on all States to refrain from developing these technologies " as they can never be morally responsible subjects and violate public conscience."