Vatican official says new U.N. council members should defend life

Published: 2006-06-20

GENEVA (CNS) -- The members of the United Nations' new Human Rights Council should demonstrate their commitment to upholding human dignity by defending the right to life and religious freedom, said the Vatican's foreign minister. Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo was representing the Vatican at the June 19-30 inaugural meeting of the new 47-member council charged with monitoring the human rights situation around the world. The Vatican representative said recognition of human dignity is "an irreversible development" in the international community, but respect for human rights is still far from being a global phenomenon. Despite the ratification of international declarations and treaties recognizing basic human rights, he said, "there exists no right that is not violated in a number of countries, unfortunately even among the members of this new council."

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