Vienna conference for the abolition of nuclear weapons: Italy cannot desert (20/06/2022)
Italy cannot desert the Vienna conference on the treaty for the abolition of nuclear weapons. A wide audience of Catholic realities, from Acli to Italian Catholic Action, from Pope John XXIII to Focsiv, from Confcooperative to Masci speak of an Italian choice – “incomprehensible” and urge Italian diplomacy, in line with the campaign “Italia retensaci “Promoted by civil society, to take a concrete step for any form of presence of our country in the Conference that will take place from 21 to 23 June in Vienna on the initiative of the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (Nobel Peace Prize 2017), together with the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (Nobel Peace Prize 1985).
To date, in fact, Italy has not decided to participate in the Conference even as an observer country, as opposed to when Germany and the Netherlands will.
The Treaty establishing the abolition of nuclear weapons has already been ratified by 62 countries from all over the world and has been in force since January 22, 2021, at the end of the 90 days foreseen after the 50th ratification. The General Assembly of Italian Bishops resumed and relaunched in the final message the appeal of over 40 Catholic associations and movements asking Italy to recently join the “Treaty for the abolition of nuclear weapons”, adopted by the United Nations since 2017 On May 18, 2022, the resolution approved by the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies committed the Government “to evaluate Italy’s participation as a country observed in the First Meeting of the States Parties to the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty (TPNW)”. In the face of the feared escalation of the war in Ukraine, the prophetic words of Don Primo Mazzolari reveal themselves to be of a pressing relevance: “We need social justice, not nuclear weapons”. Here the appeal to the Italian government and all the signatures of the adherents.